Two ligands, 1, 3-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)imidazolium chloride and 4, 4՛-bipyridine, were employed to prepare nickel and zinc azolium based MOFs, 1 and 2 by the mixed ligand solvothermal approach. The positively charged azolium moieties in the imidazolium linker resulted in a charged environment in the as-synthesized frameworks. As a result, 1 and 2 demonstrated preferential adsorption of CO2 over methane molecules in the gas phase adsorption due to the higher quadruple moment of CO2, which interacts more with the positively charged frameworks. Besides, in aqueous media, 1 and 2 exhibited incredible adsorption efficiency for anionic dyes. In the following, MOF 1 was metallated at the carbene site of the azolium linker to generate the novel heterogeneous catalyst 1-Pd, which was successfully applied for Sonogashira and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions without losing its activity after three cycles.

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are a subclass of porous materials that have unique properties such as varieties of structures from different metals and organic linkers, tunable porosity from a structure or framework design, etc. Moreover, modification/functionalization of the material structure could optimize the material properties and demonstrate high potential for a selected application. MOF materials exhibit exceptional properties and make these materials widely applicable including in energy storage and heat transformation applications. This review aims to give a broad overview of MOFs and their development as adsorbent materials having the potential for heat transformation applications. We summarize current investigations, developments, and possibilities of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) especially the tuning of the porosity and hydrophobic/hydrophilic design required for this specific application. These materials applied as adsorbent are promising in the thermal driven adsorption for heat transformation using water as working fluid and related application.

The cutting-edge photovoltaic cells are an indispensable part of the ongoing progress of earth-friendly plans for daily life energy consumption. However, the continuous electrical demand that extends to the night time requires a prior deployment of efficient real-time storage systems. In this regard, metal-air batteries have presented themselves as the most suitable candidates for solar energy storage, combining extra lightweight with higher power outputs and promises of longer life cycles. Scientific research over non-precious functional catalysts has always been the milestone and still contributing significantly to exploring new advanced materials and moderating the cost of both complementary technologies. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) derived functional materials have found their way to the application as storage and conversion materials, owing to their structural variety, porous advantages, as well as the tunability and high reactivity. In this review, we provide a detailed overview of the latest progress of MOF-based materials operating in metal-air batteries and photovoltaic cells.

Transition-metal-catalyzed amide bond formation from alcohols and amines is an atom-economic and eco-friendly route. Herein, we identified a highly active in situ N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)/ruthenium (Ru) catalytic system for this amide synthesis. Various substrates, including sterically hindered ones, could be directly transformed into the corresponding amides with the catalyst loading as low as 0.25 mol%. In this system, we replaced the p-cymene ligand of the Ru source with a relatively labile cyclooctadiene (cod) ligand so as to more efficiently obtain the corresponding poly-carbene Ru species. Expectedly, the weaker cod ligand could be more easily substituted with multiple mono-NHC ligands. Further HR-MS analyses revealed that two tetra-carbene complexes were probably generated from the in situ catalytic system.

With the aim of profitable conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) in an efficient, economical and sustainable manner, we developed a CuBr/ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate) catalytic system which could efficiently catalyze the three-component reactions of propargylic alcohols, 2-aminoethanols, and CO2 to produce 2-oxazolidinones and α-hydroxy ketones. Remarkably, this catalytic system employed lower metal loading (0.0125-0.5 mol%) but exhibited the highest turnover number (2960) ever reported, demonstrating its excellent activity and sustainability. Moreover, our catalytic system could efficiently work under 1 atm of CO2 pressure and recycle among the metal-catalyzed systems.

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the problems faced in environmental science. It has health effects on man and animals in both developed and developing countries. Research and efforts have been on it several years back. Policy statements and efforts have been published. This review paper is an added information on air pollution. In it, efforts were made in discussing these: classification, effects, methodology, case studies and source apportionment. It is hoped that this paper would contribute to existing knowledge on PM.

A new series of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles derivatives was synthesized, characterized and evaluated for their in vitro and in vivo anti-thrombotic activity. Compounds (3a-3i) exhibited significant clot lysis with respect to negative control and reference drug streptokinase (30,000 IU) while enhanced clotting time (CT) values were observed (130-342 sec) for these tested compounds than the standard drug heparin (110 sec.). High affinity towards 1NFY with greater docking score was observed for the compounds (3a, 3i, 3e, 3d and 3h) than the control ligand RPR200095. In addition, very good inhibitory potential against factor Xa (F-Xa) was observed with higher docking scores (5612-6270) with ACE values (–189.68 to –352.28 kcal/mol) than the control ligand RPR200095 (Docking score 5192; ACE –197.81 kcal/mol. In vitro, in vivo and in silico results proposed that these newly synthesized compounds can be used as anti-coagulant agents.

Benveniste’s experiments – known in the lay press as the “water memory” phenomenon – are generally considered to be a closed case. However, the amount of data generated by twenty years of well-conducted experiments prevents closing the file so simply. An issue, which has been little highlighted so far, merits to be emphasized. Indeed, if Benveniste failed to persuade his peers of the value of his experiments, it was mainly because of a stumbling block, namely the difficulty of convincingly proving the causal relationship between the supposed cause (“informed water”) and the experimental outcomes in different biological models. To progress in the understanding of this phenomenon, we abandon the idea of any role of water in these experiments (“water memory” and its avatars). In other words, we assume that “control” and “test” conditions to be evaluated were physically identical and differed only by their respective designations. We show in this article how simple probabilistic considerations allow to build a model that accounts for all aspects of Benveniste’s experiments. In this model based on probability amplitudes, constructive and destructive interferences emerge – or not – according to the experimental context. The recording of a statistical regularity shapes the intertwined whole constituted by the probability amplitudes of the states of the experimenter’s cognitive structures and of the experimental system. This model provides an alternative explanation to Benveniste’s experiments where water plays no role and where the place of the experimenter is central.

Air pollution has created a lot of problems in the developed and developing countries. To avoid or reduce these problems, constant monitoring of the air should be ensured. The conventional techniques is costly because it requires a lot of money and time consuming. Biomonitoring has been the alternative method. Moss, lichens and plants are biomonitors available to entrap air pollutants. The aim of this paper is to discuss one of the ways of monitoring air pollution – Moss bag technique. To do this, types, choice, preparation, handling of bags after preparation of moss were discussed. From the literatures consulted, it was discovered that there were differences in the techniques used by the researchers. In all, the use of mosses with emphasis on the employment of moss bag have proved to be a powerful tool in airborne particulate and toxic elements. To conclude, developing countries should focus more on this technique because it will reduce cost of air monitoring.

Biochemical compositions of black carpenter ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) were analyzed using standard methods. The proximate composition (%) were as follows: crude protein (22.50), crude fibre (1.46), carbohydrate by difference (30.86) and energy (35.4Kcal). The predominant mineral was potassium and nickel was the least. The antinutritional properties (mgkg^-1) ranged as follows: Oxalate (1.35), phytate (62.79), and tannins (0.72). The results suggested that the ant may be a good source of nutrition.

Steroid and hopanoid biomarkers can be found in ancient rocks and may give a glimpse of what life was present at that time. Sterols and hopanoids are produced by two related enzymes, though the evolutionary history of this protein family is complicated by losses and horizontal gene transfers, and appears to be widely misinterpreted. Here, I have added sequences from additional species, and re-analysis of the phylogeny of SHC and OSC indicates a single origin of both enzymes among eukaryotes. This pattern is best explained by endosymbiotic acquisition of both enzymes from a bacterial ancestor, followed by widespread loss of SHC, and two subsequent HGT events to ferns and ascomycetes. Thus, the last common ancestor of eukaryotes would have been bifunctional for both sterol and hopanoid production. Later enzymatic innovations allowed diversification of sterols in eukaryotes. Contrary to previous interpretations, the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) potentially would have been able to produce hopanoids as a substitute for sterols in anaerobic conditions. Without invoking any other metabolic demand, the LECA could have been a facultative aerobe, living in unstable conditions with respect to oxygen level.

We assume that poetic devices have an implicit goal: producing an overall sound scheme that will induce the reader to associate intended and expressed meaning to the sound of the poem. Sounds may be organized into categories and assigned presumed meaning as suggested by traditional literary studies. In my work, I have extracted automatically the sound grids of all the sonnets by William Shakespeare and have combined them with the themes expressed by their contents. In a first experiment I have computed lexically and semantically based sentiment analysis obtaining an 80% of agreement. In a second experiment sentiment analysis has been substituted by Appraisal Theory thus obtaining a more fine-grained interpretation which in some cases contradicts the first one. The computation for the second poet - regarded by many critics the best of last century - includes both vowels and consonants. In addition, it combines automatic semantically and lexically based sentiment analysis with sound grids. The results produce visual maps that clearly separate poems into three clusters: negative harmony, positive harmony and disharmony where the latter instantiates the need by the poet to encompass the opposites in a desperate attempt to reconcile them.

In order to improve the performance of the draft tube in hydraulic turbine, a multi–objective optimization method for the draft tube is developed by combining the design of experiment (DOE), the radial basis function (RBF) and the non–dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA–II) in this paper. The geometrical design variables of the median section in the draft tube and the cross section in its exit diffuser are considered as design parameters in this optimization, which objective function is to maximize the pressure recovery factor (Cp) and minimize the energy loss coefficient (ζ). The limited numbers of design matrix required for the shape optimization of the draft tube is generated by optimal Latin hypercube (OLH) method of the DOE technique, of which performances are evaluated through computational fluid dynamic (CFD) numerical simulation. For reducing of the computational consumption, the approximate model is used based on the RBF. The Pareto optimal solutions are finally performed using the NSGA–II for obtaining the best geometrical parameters of the draft tube. The optimization result of the draft tube shows a marked performance improvement over the original, which verifies the theoretical validity and feasibility of the proposed method in this paper.

Through the refinement of approaches to applying visual augmentation to virtual environments, the possibilities of utilising this process in robotics continues to be explored. However these endeavours have only yielded a collaborative relationship between the two technologies, where the augmented reality (AR) component is separate from the robot functionality. Regarding telepresence robots, research has shown that their perceived usefulness wanes in comparison to that of video conferencing tools as they do not offer a level of immersion and modified visual experience to justify their use. Therefore this paper contributes a novel virtually augmented robot (VAR) model that embeds AR functionality into telepresence, through the use of augmentation and facial recognition sub-models and algorithms. Experimental results show that using pulse width modulation (PWM), duty cycles, digital signals and accelerometer angles provides an approach for stabilising robot motion and the transference of human to robot head movement. The results also show the benefit of having a robot model with intrinsic AR functionality, as it offers a greater level of immersion and visual control of an environment.

This paper analyzes the theoretical and pragmatic implications, for international relations and world politics, of the new holistic approach to climate change articulated by Pope Francis in the Encyclical Laudato si’, particularly through the notion “integral ecology”. Far for being just a new chapter in the unfolding process of the “greening” of religions, the document raises in radical terms the issue of the sustainability of the present world system. I contend that the perspective of the Encyclical calls for a radical transformation of international relations, since it puts emphasis on the deep implications of environmental issues on the entire spectrum of security, development, economic and ethical challenges of contemporary world politics. Against this backdrop, I connect the main tenets of the Encyclical to the environmental turn in International Relations Theory and to the new epistemological challenges related to paradigm shift induced by the new planetary condition of the Anthropocene and the questions arising for a justice encompassing the humanity-earth system. Practicing sustainable international relations means exiting the logic of power or hegemony, operationalizing the concept of care.

Sailing sports are experiencing a period of radical innovations. Traditional displacing monohulls have always been the reference for yachting in the past, but the continuous quest for performances has generated many variations and many convergences with surprising results. On the aerodynamic side conventional soft sails have been sometime replaced by rigid wings, but the biggest innovation has been the use of traction kites as a propulsion device. On the hydrodynamic side we have seen the rapid growth of hydrofoils, an old concept that is having a rebirth. Probably the most remarkable expression of innovation and integration between concepts having different roots is the hydrofoil kite-board, point of encounter of the traditional wave surfing, the traction kite innovation and the hydrofoil technology. Hydrofoil kite-board can reach speeds up to 3 times the wind speed, are at least one order of magnitude cheaper than any boat with comparable performances, easy to manage and races are spectacular. Hydrofoil are object of investigation trying to further improve performances as well as to increase the stability and the “sailability". In the following we will present a concept that extends the range of efficiency of the foil through a completely passive morphing of the wing.

The crack in the blade is the most common type of fatigue damage for Francis turbines. However, the crack sometimes is difficult to be detected in time using the current monitoring system even when the crack is very large. To better monitor the crack, it is imperative to research the effect of a crack on the dynamic behavior of a Francis turbine. In this paper, the dynamic behavior of a Francis turbine runner model with a crack was researched numerically. The intact numerical model was first validated by the experimental data available. Then, a crack was created at the intersection line between one blade and the crown. The change in dynamic behavior with increasing crack length was investigated. Crack-induced vibration localization theory was used to explain the dynamic behavior changes due to the crack. Modal analysis showed that the adopted theory could basically explain the modal behavior change due to the crack. The FFT results of the modal shapes and the localization factors (LF) were used to explain the forced response changes due to the crack. Based on the above analysis, the challenge of crack monitoring was analyzed. This research can also provide some references for more advanced monitoring technologies.

The “memory of water” experiments suggested the existence of molecular-like effects without molecules. Although no convincing evidence of modifications of water – specific of biologically-active molecules – has been reported up to now, consistent changes of biological systems were nevertheless recorded. We propose an alternate explanation based on classical conditioning of the experimenter. Using a probabilistic model, we describe not only the biological system, but also the experimenter engaged in an elementary dose-response experiment. We assume that during conventional experiments involving genuine biologically-active molecules, the experimenter is involuntarily conditioned to expect a pattern, namely a relationship between descriptions (or “labels”) of experimental conditions and corresponding biological system states. The model predicts that the conditioned experimenter could continue to record the learned pattern even in the absence of the initial cause, namely the biologically-active molecules. The phenomenon is self-sustained because the observation of the expected pattern reinforces the initial conditioning. A necessary requirement is the use of a system submitted to random fluctuations with autocorrelated successive states (no forced return to the initial position). The relationship recorded by the conditioned experimenter is, however, not causal in this model because blind experiments with an “outside” supervisor lead to a loss of correlations (i.e., system states randomly associated to “labels”). In conclusion, this psychophysical model allows explaining the results of “memory of water” experiments without referring to water or another local cause. It could be extended to other scientific fields in biology, medicine and psychology when suspecting an experimenter effect.

Background: Benveniste’s biology experiments suggested the existence of molecular-like effects without molecules (“memory of water”). In this article, it is proposed that these disputed experiments could have been the consequence of a previously unnoticed and non-conventional experimenter effect. Methods: A probabilistic modelling is built in order to describe an elementary laboratory experiment. A biological system is modelled with two possible states (“resting” and “activated”) and exposed to two experimental conditions labelled “control” and “test”, but both biologically inactive. The modelling takes into account not only the biological system, but also the experimenters. In addition, an outsider standpoint is adopted to describe the experimental situation. Results: A classical approach suggests that, after experiment completion, the “control” and “test” labels of biologically-inactive conditions should be both associated with “resting” state (i.e. no significant relationship between labels and system states). However, if the fluctuations of the biological system are also considered, a quantum-like relationship emerges and connects labels and system states (analogous to a biological “effect” without molecules). Conclusions: No hypotheses about water properties or other exotic explanations are needed to describe Benveniste’s experiments, including their unusual features. This modelling could be extended to other experimental situations in biology, medicine and psychology.

Formulating a novel concept about the origin of human aging has been constrained by the dominance of a “classic theory” that was proposed nearly 70 years ago. Despite concern over the validity of some of its assumptions, the theory remained basic to our understanding of aging’s relationship with natural selection (NS). However, the logic upon which it rests was tested and subsequently challenged. The present theory describes the single cause of human aging consistent with Darwin’s evolutionary requirement for selection of adaptive traits. It describes an emergent property of the developmental program (DP), that is expressed upon completion of ontogenesis. It involves redundant expression of regulatory processes from the last stage of the DP. That mechanism subsequently preserves a non-aging, stable interval of unchanging NS during which reproductive fitness is achieved. Thereafter, loss of DP regulatory redundancy due to reliability limits, stochastic mutation accumulation, reproductive and a specific type of DNA damage, initiates aging which causes an inexorable decline in strength of NS to begin. It starts approximately a decade later than proposed in the classic theory. Since reproduction and aging are inextricably linked by the same emergent property, selection of that regulatory mechanism makes both traits products of NS.

Our knowledge of physics and chemistry is relatively well defined. Results from that knowledge are predictable as, largely, are those of their technical offspring such as electrical, chemical, me-chanical and civil engineering. By contrast biology is relatively unconstrained and unpredictable. A factor common to all areas is the trade-off, which provides a means of defining and quantifying a problem and, ideally, its solution. In order to understand the anatomy of the trade-off and how to handle it, its development (as the dialectic) is tracked from Hegel and Marx to its implementa-tion as dialectical materialism in Russian philosophy and TRIZ, the Theory of Invention. With the ready availability of mathematical techniques, such as multi-objective analysis and the Pareto set, the trade-off is well-adapted to bridging the gaps between the quantified and the unquantifiable, allowing modelling and the transfer of concepts by analogy. It is thus an ideal tool for biomimet-ics. An intracranial endoscope can be derived with little change from the egg-laying tube of a wood wasp. More complex transfers become available as the technique is developed. Most im-portant, as more trade-offs are analyzed, their results are stored to be used again in the solution of problems. There is no other system in biomimetics which can do this.

Background: Work experience is a key factor that influences safety awareness among workers. This study investigated the influence of work experience on the level of awareness on adverse health effects of silica dust exposure among stone quarry workers in Ghana while controlling for theoretically relevant compositional and contextual factors, evaluated the magnitude and order of association between the predictors and the predicted variable. Method: A cross-sectional survey data of 524 randomly selected stone quarry workers were subjected to multivariate statistical analyses. Results: Stone quarry workers who had 6 to10 years and more than 10 years of work experience were 48% (OR = 1.475, P = 0.021) and 82% (OR = 1.816, P = 0.003) respectively more likely to be aware of the adverse health effects of silica dust exposure compared to their counterparts who had 1 to 5 years work experience. Workers who had secondary or higher education were 32% (OR = 1.320, P = 0.036) more likely to be aware of the adverse health effects of silica dust exposure compared to their counterparts who had no education. Conclusion: These findings provide relevant information for managers and policymakers to plan and maximize awareness on silica dust health hazards among silica exposed workers.

To sample from complex, high-dimensional distributions, one may choose algorithms based on the Hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC) method. HMC-based algorithms generate nonlocal moves alleviating diffusive behavior. Here, I build on an already defined HMC framework, Hybrid Monte Carlo on Hilbert spaces [A. Beskos, F.J. Pinski, J.-M. Sanz-Serna and A.M. Stuart, Stoch. Proc. Applic. 121, 2201 - 2230 (2011); doi:10.1016/j.spa.2011.06.003] that provides finite-dimensional approximations of measures π which have density with respect to a Gaussian measure on an infinite-dimensional Hilbert (path) space. In all HMC algorithms, one has some freedom to choose the mass operator. The novel feature of the algorithm described in this article lies in the choice of this operator. This new choice defines a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method which is well defined on the Hilbert space itself. As before, the algorithm described herein uses an enlarged phase space Π having the target π as a marginal, together with a Hamiltonian flow that preserves Π. In the previous method, the phase space π was augmented with Brownian bridges. With the new choice for the mass operator, π is augmented with Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) bridges. The covariance of Brownian bridges grows with its length, which has negative effects on the Metropolis-Hasting acceptance rate. This contrasts with the covariance of OU bridges which is independent of the path length. The ingredients of the new algorithm include the definition of the mass operator, the equations for the Hamiltonian flow, the (approximate) numerical integration of the evolution equations, and finally the Metropolis-Hastings acceptance rule. Taken together, these constitute a robust method for sampling the target distribution in an almost dimension-free manner. The behavior of this novel algorithm is demonstrated by computer experiments for a particle moving in two dimensions, between two free-energy basins separated by an entropic barrier.

We describe how clinical researchers can exploit the Android cell phone as an economic platform for the gathering of data from clinical trial participants. The aim was to provide a solution with the shortest possible learning curve for researchers who are comfortable with setting up web pages. The additional requirement is that they extend their skills to the installation of a local webserver on the cell phone and then use four simple PHP templates to construct the clinical research data collection and processing forms. Data so collected is automatically written to local csv files on the cell phone. These csv phones can be retrieved from the device by the researcher simply by plugging the cell phone into their desktop PC and accessing the cell phone memory in just the same way as they would a USB memory stick. The results are presented as a list of recommended Android Apps along with settings that have proved to provide a stable combination likely to be easily used by clinical research participants. We have made a limited ‘user trial’ of this approach with satisfactory feedback received. We have concluded that this approach will reward researchers with a solution that is user friendly, will provide transcription free data and that is more than cost competitive with the conventional error prone/poor compliance ‘paper based participant form – researcher transcription’ cycle.

With limited state budget, developed nation public higher education have increased their fees making education expensive for most developing nation students. Some developing nations have set up regional low-cost education hubs to attract developed nation universities to offer their reputable degree programs. However, the intense competition for student enrolment in both has led to the marketisation of education. Students as paying customers need to experience satisfying stress-free teaching and learning to sustain enrolment. With employers increasingly unhappy with the quality of human capital, has the marketisation of higher education led to nominal human capital development? Can substantive human capital be developed in the new normal of marketisation of higher education? An adaptation of randomised control trials was used to measure learning outcomes desired by future employers for two teaching and learning approaches namely students as customers (n=497) and employers as customers (n=355). Findings show both approaches have good learning outcomes with the latter generally more superior. However, the former leads to nominal learning outcomes. This research extends the literature on achieving substantive learning outcomes conducive to employability. Implications for student satisfaction, lecturer professionalism, employability and quality assurance are discussed.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of incorporating indium tin oxide (ITO) nan particles (NPs) with zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs into flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (FDSSCs). ZnO and ITO NPs were separately prepared using the sol-gel method, followed by hybridization of ZnO NP/ITO NP and characterization using techniques such as TEM, SEM, XRD, UV-Vis spectros-copy, PL spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry (CV). TEM analysis showed hexagonal struc-tures and small sphere-like nanoparticles with mean diameters of 15.22 ± 11 nm for ZnO NPs and 14.54 ± 16 nm for ZnO NPs/ITO NPs. SEM images revealed uniform dispersion and smooth surface morphology, while XRD confirmed the crystalline nature of both ZnO and hybrid NPs, indicating specific crystallographic planes with consistent sizes. UV-Vis spectroscopy demonstrated a redshift in wavelength upon adding ITO NPs, suggesting an impact on the bandgap of ZnO NPs. PL spectra exhibited a broad visible emission peak at 535 nm. These findings enhance our understanding of the optical behavior and interaction between ITO and ZnO NPs in hybrid nanostructures. The study concluded that the ITO NPs improve FDSSC performance by enhancing charge separation and transport, leading to increased photocurrent production, with the characterization techniques providing valuable insights for future research and applications.

Static standing postural stability has been measured by multiscale entropy (MSE), which is used to measure complexity. In this study, we used the average entropy (AE) to measure the static standing postural stability, as AE is a good measure of disorder. The center of pressure (COP) trajectories were collected from 11 subjects under four kinds of balance situation, from stable to unstable: bipedal with open eyes, bipedal with closed eyes, unipedal with open eyes, and unipedal with closed eyes. The AE, entropy of entropy (EoE), and MSE methods were used to analyze these COP data, and EoE was found to be a good measure of complexity. The AE of the 11 subjects sequentially increased by 100%as the balance situations progressed from stable to unstable, but the results of EoE and MSE did not follow this trend. Therefore, AE, rather than EoE or MSE, is a good measure of static standing postural stability. Furthermore, the comparison of EoE and AE plots exhibited an inverted U curve, which is another example of a complexity versus disorder inverted U curve.

A new approach based on input-output (IO) analysis has emerged to estimate the carbon footprints of companies and their products from cradle to gate. While they rely on the same principles as the GHG Protocol, they use a distributed iterative framework to improve the footprint estimations and reduce their uncertainty. While optimal estimations would result if all the world’s companies would enter such a system, this paper shows how such a distributed system could apply to the real world where many enterprises would stay out of the system. We show how it would increase the quality of the estimations with respect the GHG Protocol by integrating scope 1 and scope 2 data of the value chains in the footprint estimations and reducing the part of remaining scope 3 data. To help analyzing uncertainty, we show how to use the scope 1/2/3 decomposition to estimate the biases and the standard deviations of the computed production intensities. We illustrate the model on macroeconomic data for 44 sectors and two regions (Europe and Rest of World), using the Inter-Country Input-Output database (ICIO). Such a system would necessarily rely on Information and Communication Technology since the companies would be permanently interconnected in a large-scale meshed network, using an application protocol for data exchange.

This study reports the likely real-world effects of fleet replacement with electric vehicles (EVs) and higher efficiency EURO6 vehicles on the exhaust emissions of NOx, PM, and CO2 in the seven boroughs of the West Midlands (WM) region, UK. National fleet composition data, local EURO distributions and traffic compositions were used to project vehicle fleet compositions for different roads in each borough. A large dataset of real-world emission factors including over 90,000 remote-sensing measurements, obtained from remote sensing campaigns in five UK cities, was used to parameterise the emission profiles of the studied scenarios. Results show that adoption of the fleet electrification approach would have the highest emission reduction potential on urban roads in WM boroughs. It would result in maximum reductions ranging from 35.0-37.9%, 44.3-48.3%, 46.9-50.3% for NOx, PM, and CO2, respectively. In comparison, the EURO6 replacement fleet scenario would lead to reductions ranging from 10.0-10.4%, 4.0-4.2%, and 6.0-6.4% for NOx, PM, and CO2, respectively. The studied mitigation scenarios have higher efficacies on motorways than on rural and urban roads because of the differences in traffic fleet composition. The findings presented will help policymakers choose climate and air quality mitigation strategies.

Unlike trees, shrubs (i.e., multiple-stemmed woody plants) do not need evenly spaced large diameter structural roots and thus can spread further per unit belowground biomass. We therefore hypothesized that compared to trees, shrubs respond more to asymmetric distributions of nutrients and reach nutrient-rich patches of soil faster and with less below-ground biomass. To test these hypotheses we planted individual seedlings of shrubs (Cornus racemosa, Rhus glabra, and Viburnum dentatum) and trees (Acer rubrum, Betula populifera, and Fraxinus americana) in the centers of sand-filled rectangular boxes. In one direction we created stepwise gradients of increasing soil nutrients with slow-release fertilizer; in the other direction no fertilizer was added. Seedlings were harvested when their first root reached the plexiglass-covered fertilized end of their box; time taken as well as above- and below-ground biomass by nutrient segment were determined. There were no consistent differences between the shrubs and trees in belowground architectural plasticity (= ratio of biomass in fertilized and unfertilized volumes of soil) or in the rate and efficiency of lateral growth. Interspecific variation appeared more related to edaphic characteristics of the native habitats than to growth form. The fastest and most efficient roots were produced by the shrub (R. glabra) and the tree (B. populifolia) that are characteristic of poor soils. Root foraging by R. glabra was also facilitated by rapid rhizomatous expansion. The tested shrubs and trees did not consistently differ in nutrient foraging efficiencies or rates but further study is warranted with larger plants and more species.

Psoralens have been used in the treatment of several skin diseases such as psoriasis and atopic eczema through PUVA (psoralen + UVA), cutaneous T-cell lymphoma through ECP (extracorporeal photochemotherapy), and recently, the treatment of solid tumors through X-PACT (x-ray psoralen activated cancer therapy). Ingesting psoralens and exposing the molecules to UVA light allows for the flat-planar psoralens to intercalate or slide in-between base pairs and then to form photo-adducts with the DNA backbone which can stop or slow DNA replication. The intrinsic ability of psoralens to bind with DNA and their therapeutic effectiveness contribute to the increased interest in the study of these molecules. Several studies measuring psoralen-DNA binding capabilities have used a variety of spectroscopic techniques and different experimental conditions. In this study, spectrofluorometry was used to measure the DNA-binding capabilities of three different psoralen derivatives (6E, AMT and 8-MOP) under identical experimental conditions. The binding constants were 0.325x106 M-1 for 8-MOP, 0.516x106 M-1 for AMT, and 7.30x106 M-1 for 6E. This direct comparison of the three different psoralens demonstrated the impact of their molecular structure on the DNA-binding capacity. 6E’s significantly greater binding constant makes it the stronger candidate for further studies looking into potential applications for cancer treatment.

Expressed sequenced tagged-polymerase chain reaction (EST-PCR) molecular markers were used to evaluate the genetic diversity of lowbush blueberry across its geographic range and to compare genetic diversity among four paired managed/non-managed populations. Seventeen lowbush blueberry populations were sampled in a general north south transect throughout eastern United States with distances between 27 km to 1600 km separating populations. Results show that the majority of genetic variation is found within populations (75%) versus among populations (25%), and that each population was genetically unique (P ≤ 0.0001) with the exception of the Jonesboro, ME and Lubec, ME populations that were found not to be significantly different (P = 0.228). The effects of management for commercial fruit harvesting on genetic diversity were investigated in four locations in Maine with paired managed and non-managed populations. Significant differences were found between the populations indicating that commercial management influences the genetic diversity of lowbush blueberries in the landscape, despite the fact that planting does not occur; forests are harvested and the existing understory blueberry plants are what become established.

Epigenetics refers to the DNA chemistry changes that result in the modification of gene transcription and translation independently of the underlying DNA coding sequence. Epigenetic modifications are reported to involve various molecular mechanisms, including classical epigenetic changes affecting DNA methylation and histone modifications and small RNA-mediated processes, particularly that of microRNAs. Epigenetic changes are reversible and are closely interconnected. They are recognised to play a critical role as mediators of gene regulation, and any alteration in these mechanisms has been identified to mediate various pathophysiological conditions. Moreover, genetic predisposition and environmental factors, including dietary alterations, lifestyle or metabolic status, are identified to interact with the human epigenome, highlighting the importance of epigenetic factors as underlying processes in the etiology of various diseases such as MetS. This review will reflect on how both the classical and microRNA regulated epigenetic changes are associated with the pathophysiology of Metabolic syndrome. We would then focus on the various aspects of epigenetic-based strategies used to modify MetS outcomes, including epigenetic diet, epigenetic drugs, epigenome editing tools, and miRNA-based therapies.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) are characterized by dysregulated signaling pathways that are crucial for tumor formation and progression. The efficacy of traditional therapies is limited, particularly in treatment of PNETs at advanced stage. Epigenetic alterations profoundly impact the activity of signaling pathways in cancer development, offering potential opportunities for drug development. There is currently a lack of extensive research on epigenetic regulation in PNETs. To fill this gap, we first summarize major signaling events which are involved in PNET development. Then, we discuss the epigenetic regulation of these signaling pathways in the context of both PNET and commonly occurring, and therefore more extensively studied, malignancies. Finally, we will offer perspective on the future research direction of PNET epigenome and its potential applications in patient care.

Background: Worldwide, around 73 million induced abortions take place every year. Of these, 45% are unsafe and can lead to complications. The evolution of the legal and practical landscape of abortion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) over the last few years necessitates a re-examination of the experience of induced abortion, leading this study to measure the incidence of abortion among young women (15 to 29 years of age), as well as the heterogeneity of this problem according to the residence of these young women (slum vs. non-slum areas). Methodology: We used representative survey data on women aged 15–49 in Kinshasa, collected from December 2021 to April 2022. The survey included questions about the respondents’ and their closest confidants’ experience of induced abortion, including the methods and sources used. We estimated abortion incidence and heterogeneity over one year based on residence in the city of Kinshasa according to sociodemographic characteristics. Results: The incidence rate of induced abortion among the confidants (close friends) in 2021 was 131.5 per 1000 (95% CI: IQR 99.4–163.6). These rates were significantly higher than the corresponding estimates of those surveyed. The incidence of induced abortion was 24.4 per 1000 (95% CI: 15.8–32.9) abortions per 1000 women among the respondents. The incidence rates of induced abortion were much higher among the respondents residing in slums than among those residing in non-slums (29.2 vs. 13.0 per 1000; p < 0.001). Conclusions: More precise estimates of the incidence of abortion indicate that the incidence rate of abortion was higher among young women residing in slums, who were unmarried and had no children. These incidences were higher among confidants than among respondents. There is still a lot of work to be done to fulfill the obligations outlined in the Maputo Protocol. This includes establishing easily accessible services that offer complete abortion care with a focus on women's needs, particularly in slum areas. The aim is to decrease the occurrence of unsafe abortions and their associated effects.

Beginning with navigation system design, this paper presents a comprehensive strategy for enhancing the search and rescue capabilities of agile mobile robots. Towards this, the autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) utilizes surface classification to determine and prioritize the terrain it is traversing. Our developed system design incorporates real-time terrain data with task objectives at a high level, ensuring that the robot can effectively navigate complex and ever-changing environments. This design, in conjunction with the introduction of a novel lightweight surface classification model, forms the basis of our adaptive terrain perception and decision-making systems, enabling robots such as Jackal to adapt rapidly and make the decisions necessary to complete the task. Subsequently, we exhaustively validated these systems through a series of extensive experiments in a variety of terrains, including normal and mixed terrains, demonstrating their robustness and efficacy in real-life situations.

Introduction: Established predictors for COVID-19 related mortalities are diverse, with cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a key intermediator to the case fatalities being dominant and multi-faceted. The impact of these several risk factors on coronavirus mortality have been previously reported in several meta‐analyses limited by small sample sizes and premature data, and CRS not fully being accounted for. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the evidence on the risk of COVID-19 related CRS and mortality with HIV serostatus using published data, and a meta-regression to account for possible covariates. Method: Electronic databases including Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Web of Sciences (WOS), EMBASE, Medline/PubMed, COVID-19 Research Database, and Scopus, were systematically searched till 30th February, 2022. All human studies were included irrespective of publication date or region. Twenty-two studies with a total of 19,783,097 patients detailing COVID-related mortality and eleven with a total of 2,005,274 were included. To pool the estimate, a random-effects model with risk ration as the effect measure was used. Moreover, publication bias and sensitivity analysis were evaluated followed by meta-regression. The trial was registered (CRD42021264761) on the PROSPERO register. Results: The findings were consistent in stating the contribution of HIV infection for COVID-19 related CRS and mortality. The cumulative COVID-19 related mortality and CRS was 110270 (0.6%) and 48863 (2.4%) with total events of 2010 (3.6%), 108260 (0.5%) and 837(4.6%), 48026 (2.4%) among HIV-positive and negative persons respectively. HIV infection showed an increased risk of COVID-19 related CRS and mortality [RR= 1.48, 95% CI (1.16, 1.88) (P=0.002)] and [RR =1.19, 95% CI (1.02 -1.39) (P=0.00001)] respectively, both with substantial heterogeneity (I² > 80%). The true effects size in 95% of all the comparable populations fell between 0.64 to 2.22 and 0.67 to 3.29 for mortality and CRS respectively. MC studies and COVID-19 mortality with HIV infection showed a significant association [RR = 1.305, 95% CI (1.092 -1.559) (P = 0.003)], similar to studies conducted in America (RR = 1.422, 95% CI 1.233–1.639) and South Africa (RR = 1.123, 95% CI 1.052–1.198). HIV infection showed a risk for ICU admission [(P=0.00001) (I² = 0%)] and mechanical ventilation [(P=0.04) (I² = 0%)] as parameters of CRS. Furthermore, risk of COVID-19 related CRS is influenced by the year a study was conducted (R² = 0.55) and the region (R² = 0.11) same for mortality (R² = 0.60). The variance proportion explained by covariates was significant for CRS (I² = 86.5%, Q = 73.99, df = 10, P = 0.0000) (R² = 0.78) and mortality (I² = 87.5%, Q = 168.02, df = 21, p = 0.0000) (R² = 0.67). Conclusion: Our updated meta-analysis indicated that HIV infection was significantly associated with an increased risk for both COVID-19 – CRS and mortality, which might be modulated by regions, study setting and year. Risk for ICU admission and mechanical ventilation are the key indicators of CRS. We believe the updated data further anchoring CRS will contribute to more substantiation of the findings reported by similar earlier studies (Dong et al., 2021; K. W. Lee et al., 2021; Massarvva, 2021; Mellor et al., 2021; Ssentongo et al., 2021)

Gelatinization of starch content in pet foods can be impacted by several factors including moisture, retention time, and ingredients used. Starch gelatinization has been associated with digestibility but isn’t well studied using ingredients common in non-traditional canine diets. The objective of this research was to examine the impacts of dietary ingredient profile (traditional vs non-traditional) and assess impacts to total starch content and starch gelatinization. Traditional diets (n = 10) utilizing meat-based ingredients including chicken, chicken by-product meal, meat and bone meal and plant-based ingredients including rice, barley, oats, and corn were examined in comparison with non-traditional diets (n = 10) utilizing meat-based ingredients including alligator, buffalo, venison, kangaroo, squid, quail, rabbit, rabbit and salmon along with plant-based ingredients including tapioca, peas, chickpeas, lentils, potato, and pumpkin. Representative samples were collected via grab sample technique (5 samples/diet) and were assessed for total starch content as well as percent starch gelatinization. Difference between ingredient type was assessed using a Students t-test in SAS 9.4. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Distribution of total starch content based on ingredient type (traditional vs non-traditional) revealed that mean total starch content was higher in traditional diets as compared to non-traditional diets (P <0.0001). Conversely, starch gelatinization was found to be higher in non-traditional diets (P < 0.0001). Total starch content and total gelatinized starch had a strong negative correlation (P < 0.01) in traditional diets, though no correlation was observed in non-traditional diets. This negative correlation indicates a decrease in total gelatinized starch associated with increased total starch content. These novel data reveal important differences between starch content and gelatinization and could impact manufacturing processes for ingredient types as well as feeding recommendations. Unpredicted variation between ingredient formulations could potentially lead to decreased digestibility and absorption and may result in nutrient deficiencies.

The maritime sector, grapples with environmental challenges, but the adoption of "cold ironing" emerges as a promising solution, signifying a shift toward sustainability by providing energy to ships at port, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and significantly lowering emissions, contributing to global climate change efforts. This transition towards renewable energy is especially crucial for islands like Lesvos, addressing challenges of high energy costs and environmental degradation resulting from reliance on imported fossil fuels, highlighting the potential for positive economic and environmental impacts. The existing literature highlights a research gap in the development of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) to support cold ironing operations, specifically due to the absence of specific data for the power demand needed in such operations and the lack of monitoring data for accurate calculations. This study's primary objective is to utilize real monitoring data from the port of Lesvos to evaluate the power demand for a potential cold ironing application. Additionally, the study aims to analyze the implementation of a wind power park to meet the energy needs of an electric port and evaluate the potential reduction in CO2 emissions. The database of Marine Traffic S.A. was utilized, while the determination of the energy used in-port per ship depended on factors such as the number of arrivals, the duration of hoteling, and the type of engine used by the ships. In addition, the software RETSCREEN was used for the energy analysis of a simulated 20 MW wind park that can support the in-port operations. The combined monthly energy demand for both main and auxiliary engines of shipping vessels at Mytilini port was assessed to be 6118 MWh and averaging a power demand equaled to 8.2 MW. The simulation analysis indicates that the annual electricity delivered to the port can be72080 MWh, with a significant portion remaining unused and exported to the grid, amounting to 14956 MWh annually. Due to demand fluctuations, in-port activities require an additional 924 MWh from the main electrical grid, which highlights the importance of additional measures like energy storage and demand-response practices for the gradual transition to 100% Renewable Energy Sources (RES) operations.

A long-term investigation of D. suzukii dynamics in wild blueberry fields from 2012 - 2018 demonstrates relative abundance is still increasing seven years after initial invasion. Relative abundance is determined by physiological date of first detection and air temperatures the previous winter. Date of first detection of flies does not determine date of fruit infestation. The level of fruit infestation is determined by year, fly pressure, and insecticide application frequency. Frequency of insecticide application is determined by production system. Non-crop wild fruit and predation influences fly pressure; increased wild fruit abundance results in increased fly pressure. Increased predation rate reduces fly pressure, but only at high abundance of flies, or when high levels of wild fruit are present along field edges. Male sex ratio might be declining over the seven years. Action thresholds were developed from samples of 92 fields from 2012 - 2017 that related cumulative adult male trap capture to the following week likelihood of fruit infestation. A two-parameter gamma density function describing this probability was used to develop a risk-based gradient action threshold system. The action thresholds were validated from 2016-2018 in 35 fields and were shown to work well in two of three years (2016 and 2017).

Biowaste management is in the center of attention in recent years, due to the increased focus on Circular Economy practices. Recent management solutions promote exploration for small and medium scale processing and monitoring practices. In this context, two pathways of biowaste valorization are analyzed: composting and anaerobic digestion. This study focuses on energy production with the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of anaerobic residues from biogas production. Lesvos has numerous processing facilities and olive mills, and therefore Olive Mill Wastewater (OMWW) are the main biowaste streams in the island, along with olive tree pruning, the organic fraction of municipal solid waste and sludge from wastewater treatment facilities. Most studies present applications on specific types of biowaste, while this study aims to co-treat several biowaste streams. A holistic experimental set-up that combines aerobic and anaerobic treatment strategies was developed taking into consideration the hydrothermal treatment of AD digestate along with locally available biowaste, like OMWW, sludge etc. A main target objective is to investigate if solid fraction could have a high heating potential In addition, HTC was able significantly to reduce the COD of OMWW while resulting in hydrochars with increased heating values.

Power systems have been going through a barrage of transformations due to the recent developments in the field, such as deregulation and restructuring of the electric power supply chain, the proliferation of distributed generation (DG), and advancements in information and communications technologies. These have significantly impacted the approach to the planning, design, and operation of active distribution networks or systems. Due to this constant change, the system has become more complex to plan, maintain, and control. In this paper, the benefits, and challenges of active distribution systems relative to traditional passive and active distribution systems are evaluated and investigated while the management and operational characteristics of demand-side resources in Active Distribution Systems (ADS) are studied. In a typical ADS, there exist several vulnerabilities and threats that eventually pose a challenge in the control and automation of substations. These vulnerabilities and threats are reviewed, and potential mitigation measures are suggested. Also in this paper, the communication technologies, and their implementation in terms of control and automation capabilities in active distribution networks are also studied. From this work, it is concluded that communication technologies play an integral role in the realization of a more active distribution networks and that the internet of energy (IoE) is a major player in ADS in the reduction of faults due to human error, fast responses, and improving the stability of power supply. Cyber threats are also and will still be a continuous challenge in smart metering technologies and in substation automation systems (SAS) which will require frequent evaluation and mitigation measures so as not to prevent the power supply system from collapsing.

Despite the popularity of Zumba in several countries, research is scarce about its impact on older adults. Meanwhile, the integration of cognitive tasks with physical exercises, known as dual-tasking, is an evolving strategy to facilitate activities for older people. This study investigated the perceptions of older adults regarding Zumba and the potential of implementing it in a dual-task program. We conducted a qualitative-descriptive research involving 44 Filipino older adults from August to November 2020. Content analysis was employed to analyze the data. Four themes were identified: moving towards match or mismatch; balancing benefits with burdens; dual-tasking as innovative yet potentially challenging; and overcoming barriers with enablers. While Zumba is an inclusive and beneficial activity, individual and contextual limitations could hinder its suitability for older people. Dual-tasking in Zumba was also recognized as an innovative approach, although challenges should be addressed to promote its utility. Several strategies could support the design of these programs in communities. This is the first study to explore older adults’ perceptions towards Zumba and its potential utilization as a dual-tasking program. Findings could guide the implementation of appropriate Zumba and dual-tasking activities that seek to integrate cognitive and physical training for older adults.

A two-year study was conducted in Maine wild blueberry fields (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) on the health of migratory honey bee colonies in 2014 and 2015. In each year 3-5 colonies were monitored at each of 9 wild blueberry field locations during bloom (mid-May until mid-June). Colony health was measured by assessing percent worker and sealed brood rate of change from the beginning of bloom until the end of bloom. Potential factors that might affect colony health were queen failure or supersedure; pes-ticide residues on trapped pollen, wax comb, and bee bread; and parasites and pathogens. We found that Varroa mite and pesti-cide residues on trapped pollen were significant predictors of colony health as measured by the percent rate of change of sealed brood during bloom. These two factors explained 71% of the variance in colony health over the two years. Pesticide exposure was different in each year as were pathogen prevalence and incidence. We detected high prevalence and abundance of two recently discovered pathogens and one recently discovered parasite, the trypanosome Lotmaria passim Schwartz, the Sinai virus, and the phorid fly, Apocephalus borealis Brues.

Coded aperture 3D imaging techniques have been rapidly evolving in the recent years. The two main directions of evolution are in aperture engineering to generate the optimal optical field and in development of computational reconstruction to reconstruct the object’s image from the intensity distribution with a minimal noise. The goal is to find the ideal aperture-reconstruction method pair and if not, to optimize one to match the other for designing an imaging system with required 3D imaging characteristics. Lucy-Richardson-Rosen algorithm (LR²A), a recently developed computational reconstruction method was found to perform better than its predecessors such as matched filter, Weiner filter, phase-only filter, Lucy-Richardson algorithm and non-linear reconstruction (NLR) for certain apertures when the point spread function (PSF) is a real and symmetric function. For other cases of PSF, NLR performed better than the rest of the methods. In this tutorial, LR²A has been presented as a generalized approach for any optical field along with MATLAB codes for reconstruction of any image when the PSF is known. The common problems and pitfalls in using LR²A has been discussed. Simulation and experimental studies for common optical fields such as spherical, Bessel, vortex beams and exotic optical fields such as Airy, scattered and self-rotating beams have been presented. From this study, it can be seen that it is possible to transfer the 3D imaging characteristics from non-imaging type exotic fields to indirect imaging systems faithfully using LR²A. The application of LR²A to medical images such as colonoscopy images and cone beam computed tomography images with synthetic PSF has been demonstrated. We believe that the tutorial will provide a deeper understanding of computational reconstruction using LR²A.

Lippia javanica (Burm. f.) is a medicinal plant with multiple native uses in the treatment of colds, influenza, pneumonia, coughs, dermatitis, tuberculosis, asthma, and bronchial diseases. However, it remains underutilized in drug development. In this review, existing studies on the pharmacological activities of L. javanica, more specifically the antitumor, antiviral, and antibacterial properties as well as recent metabolites identified from the plant were appraised. Background information on the plant's ecological distribution, ethnobotanical importance, toxicity, and cytotoxicity activity was also provided. The information in the review was gathered from major scientific databases (Google scholar, BioMed Central, Scopus, PubMed, Springer, Web of Science, and Science Direct) using journals, conference proceedings, dissertations, books, and/or chapters. The review compiled 66 new metabolites from the plant while establishing the anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, and other important pharmacological activities of the organic (most especially methanol and acetone) and aqueous extracts of various parts of the plant attributed to several secondary metabolites present in the volatile oil of the plant, which includes carvone, ipsdienone, limonene, linalool, myrcene, ocimenone, caryophyllene, piperitenone, sabinene, p-cymene, sabinene, myrcene, ipsenone, and tagetenone. While some of the metabolites of L. javanica have been linked through pharmacological studies to the various traditional uses of the plant, some others remain unexplored, emphasizing how underutilized the plant is in drug research and development. It is envisaged that the reports from this review will help to further encourage future research and guide further investigations into the pharmaceutical and medicinal uses of L. javanica.

Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of virgin low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP) and mixtures of LDPE/PP were carried out in a 200 ml laboratory scale batch reactor at 460 °C in a nitrogen atmosphere. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was carried out to study the thermal and catalytic degradation of the polymers at a heating rate of 10 °C/min. The amount of PP was varied in the LDPE/PP mixture to explore its effect on the reaction. In thermal degradation (TGA) of LDPE/PP blends, a lower decomposition temperature was observed for LDPE/PP mixtures compared to pure LDPE, indicating interaction between the two polymer types. In the presence of a catalyst (CAT-2), the degradation temperatures for the pure polymers were reduced. The TGA results were validated in a batch reactor using PP and LDPE respectively. Thermal cracking results showed that the oil product contains a significant amount of gasoline (C7 − C12) and diesel (C13 − C20) hydrocarbon fractions. The catalyst enhanced cracking at lower temperatures and narrowed the hydrocarbon distribution in the oil towards the gasoline range fraction (C7 – C12). The result suggests that the oil produced from catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics has a potential as an alternative fuel.

Africa is gradually becoming an epicentre for the COVID-19 pandemic. From the current trends of the disease, Africa might be the last hardest hit continent. While scientific investigations are ongoing to develop effective management through medications and vaccines, existing knowledge, perceptions and attitudes could be harnessed to develop an effective strategy to curb community transmission of the COVID-19. The present study assessed the awareness level, perceptions and attitudes of people living in rural, peri-urban and urban communities in Northern Ghana and their preparedness for the prevention and containment of COVID-19. We conducted a face-to-face interview and administered 553 semi-structured questionnaires in eighteen (18) rural and peri-urban/urban communities under Tolon District, Kumbungu Districts, Sagnarigu Municipality, Savelugu Municipality and Tamale Metropolis from 23^rd of April to 8^th of June 2020. The percentage of male to female among the respondents was 56.8% and 43.2%, respectively. Nearly half (41%) of the respondents had no formal education and 91.3% of them were Muslims. Most of the respondents (85%) held the view that COVID-19 is a punishment from God. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) between the time rural and peri-urban/urban communities first heard of COVID-19. Majority (63%) of the rural respondents depended on radio, while the peri-urban/urban respondents (51%) relied on television for information on COVID-19. All respondents were aware of COVID-19 and 91.7% could mention at least two symptoms of the disease but 18% believed there was no COVID-19 in Ghana. Most of the respondents (69.6%) believed they will not contract the virus. Our findings may provide useful data to government and other stakeholders in the COVID-19 fight.

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is a major public health problem in low-income countries. Infants born with LBW are at increased risk of neonatal mortality, have poorer school performance, and are more likely to develop respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. Methods: An unmatched case–control study was conducted in five maternity wards in the Kenge Health Zone, involving 159 mother–newborn pairs. Data analysis was performed using STATA 18.0 software. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the associations between independent variables and LBW. Results: Determinants of low birth weight were maternal short stature (height &lt; 155 cm) (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 3.90; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.66–9.13), maternal non-indigenous Yaka ethnic group (AOR: 2.39; 95% CI: 1.01–5.66), having attended fewer antenatal care (ANC) sessions (AOR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.53–0.99), and inadequate maternal dietary diversity (AOR: 3.97; 95% CI: 1.25–12.62). Conclusions: Increased education and awareness of dietary diversity as an indicator of dietary quality in women of childbearing age, especially during pregnancy, along with regular follow-up of antenatal care visits and behavior change communication targeting pregnant women, can help health professionals address dietary taboos and reduce the incidence of LBW.

Controlling injection parameters is paramount when it comes to producing high-quality green parts using powder injection molding. This work combines experimental and numerical approaches to study the impact of injection parameters on mold in-cavity pressure and on the overall quality of green parts produced by low-pressure powder injection molding. The properties of two low-viscosity feedstocks (formulated from a water-atomized stainless-steel powder and wax-based binder system) were measured and implemented in an Autodesk Moldflow numerical model to quantify the molding pressures, which were finally validated using experimental real-scale injections. The results confirmed that an increase in mold temperature, an increase in feedstock temperature, and a decrease in solid loading decrease the mold in-cavity pressure, which was correlated with the feedstock viscosity. As a key result, real-scale injections confirmed that a minimum flow rate was required to avoid atypical high in-cavity pressure leading in several visual defects such as weld lines, flow marks, cracks, sinks, and incomplete filling. Due to differences in its thermal transfer properties, this flow rate threshold value decreases as the feedstock solid loading increases. For injection speeds higher than this value, the injection pressure measured experimentally was linearly correlated with the injection flow rate.

Noise pollution is an environmental problem due to its effect on hearing and other related health issues. The elevated noise levels above standard limits cause hearing loss and other attendant problems. In Nigeria, viewing centers where football matches are watched via satellite are known as ‘Mini Stadium’. In this study, the noise pollution of a viewing center was assessed. To do this, five top teams each from the English Premier League (EPL), La Liga, Bundesliga, League 1, and Serie A were selected for the assessment. A sound level meter (GB: 2266204, made in China) was used for the monitoring. The range of noise levels in dBA showed as follow: EPL (56-108); La Liga (46-106); Bundesliga (54-102); Serie A (49-101); and Ligue 1 (54-101). The results when compared with the standard limits, it was observed that part of the results exceeded the limits, this means that the viewers and others within the viewing center may be prone to the hearing problem. It is recommended that acoustic insulators and hearing aids should be used to reduce the attendant problems associated with noise.

Metabarcoding of prokaryotic and fungal ribosomal DNA was used to describe the microbial communities in soils of remnant equatorial rainforest, maize-bean intercrop, and sugarcane in western Kenya. Cropping systems influenced the microbial community composition and functional traits (energy source and nutrient cycling) of bulk soil in each crop. Microbial richness and diversity tended to increase with cultivation intensity. Soil of maize-bean intercrop had lower percentages and sugarcane had higher percentages of unique amplicon sequence variants of both bacteria and fungi compared to the remnant forest. Functional traits were altered by cultivation intensity. Compared to remnant forest soils, maize-bean intercrop soil had lower percentages of aerobic chemoheterotrophic bacteria and higher percentages of N-cycling bacteria, while sugarcane had higher percentages of aerobic chemoheterotrophic bacteria and lower percentages of N-cycling bacteria. In the face of increasing forest loss and pressures for agricultural productivity, this landscape provides a rich site for studying the impacts of cropping systems on soil health.

Purpose: A number of imaging readout schemes have been proposed for renal arterial spin labelling (ASL) to quantify kidney cortex perfusion, including gradient echo based methods of balanced fast field echo (bFFE) and gradient-echo echo-planar imaging (GE-EPI), or spin echo based schemes of spin-echo echo planar imaging (SE-EPI) and turbo spin-echo (TSE). Here, we compare these imaging schemes to evaluate the optimal imaging scheme for pulsed ASL (PASL) assessment of human kidney cortex perfusion at 3 T. Methods: Ten healthy volunteers with normal renal function were scanned using each 2D multislice imaging scheme, in combination with a respiratory triggered FAIR (flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery) ASL scheme on a 3 T Philips Achieva scanner. All volunteers returned for a second identical scan session within two weeks of the first scan session. Comparisons were made between the imaging schemes in terms of perfusion weighted image (PWI) signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and perfusion quantification, temporal SNR (tSNR), spatial coverage, and repeatability. Results: For each imaging scheme, renal cortex perfusion was calculated (bFFE: 276 ± 29 mL/100 g/min, GE-EPI: 222 ± 18 mL/100 g/min, SE-EPI: 201 ± 36 mL/100 g/min, TSE: 200 ± 20 mL/100 g/min). Perfusion was found to be higher for GE based readouts compared to SE based readouts, with significantly higher measured perfusion for the bFFE readout compared to all other schemes (P < 0.05), attributed to the greater vascular signal present. Despite the PWI-SNR being significantly lower for SE-EPI compared to all other schemes (P < 0.05), the SE-EPI readout gave the highest tSNR and was found to be the most reproducible scheme for the assessment of kidney cortex, with a CoV of 17.2%, whilst minimizing variability of the perfusion weighted signal across slices for whole kidney perfusion assessment. Conclusion: For the assessment of kidney cortex perfusion, SE-EPI provides optimal tSNR, minimal variability across slices and repeatable data acquired in a short scan time with low specific absorption rate.

Nanotechnology sparks discussions and concerns about the impacts of new nanomaterials on health and the environment. It holds importance in various domains due to its unique struc-tures. Carbon dots (C-dots) are versatile nanomaterials with applications in bioimaging, sensing, catalysis, polymers, solar cells, and more. They offer desirable characteristics such as stability, cost-effectiveness, biocompatibility, and high photoluminescent quantum yield. C-dots have the potential to replace expensive fluorophores in solar cells. They are catego-rized as carbon quantum dots, graphene quantum dots, and carbonized polymer dots. C-dots have outstanding optical and photoelectric properties with low toxicity. Bottom-up and top-down approaches are used for the synthesis of carbon dots (CDs), with each method im-pacting their physicochemical characteristics. The choice of synthesis method depends on de-sired properties and application requirements. Researchers combine these methods and ex-plore new approaches to enhance synthesis efficiency and tailor CD properties. CDs have di-verse chemical structures with modified oxygen, polymer-based, or amino groups on their surface. Various characterization methods such as HRTEM, XPS, and optical analysis (PL, UV) are used to determine CD structure. Carbon dots (CDs) are cutting-edge fluorescent nano-materials with remarkable qualities such as biocompatibility, low toxicity, environmental friendliness, high water solubility, and photo-stability. They are easily adjustable in terms of their optical properties, making them highly versatile in various fields. CDs find applications in bio-imaging, nanomedicine, drug delivery, solar cells, LEDs, photo-catalysis, elec-tro-catalysis, and other related areas.

The study was performed to get the first insight of distribution of the low field volume magnetic susceptibility (MS) throughout the Zagreb city area, based on in-situ field measurements. Most interesting locations were selected for soil sampling and geochemical content was determined using ICP-OES. A geostatistical approach was applied on MS and geochemical results. Median value of 0.245 x 10-3 SI units is proposed to be used as relevant average MS value in Zagreb area. Mean concentrations of heavy metals in Zagreb soils (in µg/g) are: Pb (36.82), Zn (87.77), Cu (30.84), Cd (0.66), Cr (29.04), Co (11.89) and Ni (28.40), being relatively low in comparison with Croatian legislation and with European and world average. Boxplot analyses showed that 45% of studied elements do not show any anomaly, while the rest of elements mostly show only one weak anomaly and they are located at the same sites as MS anomalies. Statistical analysis found significant correlations between MS and following elements: Cd, Co, Fe, Mn, Na, Pb, Sb and Zn. In-situ MS measurements proved to be an efficient tool for initial screening of large areas in terms of elevated heavy elements concentrations, enabling cheap and fast assessment of state of environment.

Chickpea is an essential legume, a staple food in many cultures and contains nutrients with potential health benefits. The chickpea water (CPW) leached out after cooking is usually discarded, which may potentially have significant anti-cancer and other health beneficial properties. This study compared the in-vitro bioactivity of CPW with chickpea polyphenol extract (CPPE) to evaluate its impact on pathways of colorectal cancer progression and development. Morphological observation by APOPercentage, cell viability detection using a cytotoxic assay and cell migration-scratch assay points to measure rate of metastasis were employed. Overall antioxidant activity of CPW and CPPE were measured using ABTS and DPPH free-radical assays. At 50 µg/mL concentration and above, both CPW and CPPE extracts significantly reduce cell viability in HT-29 colon cancer cell lines (p < 0.05). Moreover, a quantitative analysis of the extent of apoptosis demonstrated that at 250 and 500 μg/mL concentrations, both extracts induced significant apoptosis compared to the untreated control. Meanwhile, the cell migration scratch area decreases by 34.42% and 15.27% when treated with CPW and CPPE, respectively. In summary, CPW demonstrated comparable in vitro anti-cancer properties and antioxidant activity in colorectal cancer cells to CPPE. Further, in vivo studies are warranted to evaluate the physiological bioactivity of CPW and CPPE in targeting pathways of cancer development and progression

Background: Reducing the impact of malaria is a key to achieving the sustainable development goals which are geared towards eradicating the disease. The main objective of this study was to synthesize, determine the efficacy and safety of antiplasmodial hybrid drug comprising of sarcosine and aniline derivative for management of plasmodial infections. Results: The hybrid drug was synthesized by adding thionyl chloride to sarcosine in order to form acyl chloride which was then added to aniline to form sarcosine-aniline hybrid molecule. The IC50 of sarcosine-aniline hybrid was 44.80 ± 4.70 ng/ml compared to that of aniline derivative which was 22.86 ± 1.26 ng/ml. The IC50 of control drugs were 2.63 ± 0.38 ng/ml, 5.69 ± 0.39 ng/ml for artesunate and chloroquine respectively. There was a significant difference between IC50 of sarcosine-aniline hybrid and aniline derivative (P<0.05). There was also a significant difference between sarcosine-aniline hybrid and standard drugs used to treat malaria including artesunate and chloroquine (P<0.05). The ED50 of sarcosine-aniline hybrid drug was 6.49mg/kg compared to that of aniline derivative which was 3.61mg/kg. The ED50 of control drugs were 3.56 mg/kg, 2.94mg/kg and 1.78 mg/kg for artesunate-aniline hybrid, artesunate and chloroquine respectively. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) between ED50 of sarcosine-aniline hybrid and both controls such as aniline derivative, artesunate, artesunate-aniline hybrid and chloroquine. Cytotoxicity results revealed that sarcosine-aniline hybrid was safe to vero cells with a CC50 of 50.18±3.53µg/ml. Sarcosine-aniline hybrid was significantly less toxic compared to artesunate, chloroquine and doxorubicin. Sarcosine-aniline hybrid was also safe to mice. Conclusion: Therefore, covalent bitherapy should be used in drug development for drug resistance mitigation.

The rich emission and absorption line spectra of Fe I may be used to extract crucial information on astrophysical plasmas, such as stellar metallicities. There is currently a lack, in quality and quantity, of accurate level-resolved effective electron-impact collision strengths and oscillator strengths for radiative transitions. Here, we discuss the challenges in obtaining a sufficiently good structure for neutral iron and compare our theoretical fine-structure energy levels with observation for several increasingly large models. Radiative data is presented for several transitions for which the atomic data is accurately known.

Plants are constantly exposed to a variety of different environmental stresses, including drought, salinity, and elevated temperatures. These stress cues are assumed to aggravate in the future driven by the global climate change scenario which we are currently experiencing. These stressors have largely detrimental effects on plant growth and development and, therefore, put global food security in jeopardy. For this reason, it is necessary to expand our understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which plants respond to abiotic stresses. Especially boosting our insight into the ways by which plants balance their growth and their defense programs appears to be of paramount importance, as this may lead to novel perspectives that can pave the way to increase agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner. In this review, our aim was to present a detailed overview of different factettes of the crosstalk between the antagonistic plant hormones abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin, two phytohormones that are the main drivers of plant stress responses, on the one hand, and plant growth, on the other.

Microplastics (of size < 5mm) pollution in our environment is of current concern by researchers, public media and non-governmental organizations. Implications by their presence in aquatic and soil ecosystems have been well studied and documented, but less attention has been paid on airborne microplastics (MPs). Studies concerning airborne microplastics started from 2016 and only a few (n=7) have been published till date. Although, studies may increase in the following years, since air is very important for human survival. Microplastics have been observed in atmospheric fallouts in indoor and outdoor environments using a sampling or vacuum pump, rain sampler and/or particulate fallout collector. Identification and quantification have been carried out by visual, spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. Factors such as meterological, climatic and anthropogenic influence the distribution and movement of airborne MP. Human exposure may be through inhalation or dermal route with their potential biopersistence and translocation. Ingestion may cause localized inflammation and cancer due to responses by the immune cells, especially in individuals with compromised metabolism and poor clearance mechanisms. Ecological risks involve possible contamination of the ecosystem through a dynamic relationship of MPs in soil, water and air forming a MP contamination cycle. The present review aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of current knowledge or information regarding microplastics in air, identifies gap in knowledge and give suggestions for future research.

Astringency is an important sensory characteristic of food and beverages containing polyphenols. However, astringency perception in elderly people has not been documented. The aim of the present work was to evaluate sensitivity to astringency as a function of age and salivary flow. Fifty-four panellists, including 30 elderly people (age=75±4.2 years) and 24 young people (age=29.4±3.8 years), participated in this study. Astringency sensitivity was evaluated by the 2-alternative forced choice (2-AFC) procedure using tannic acid solutions. Whole saliva was collected for 5 min before and after sensory tests. The results showed that the astringency threshold was significantly higher in the elderly group than in the young group. Moreover, a negative correlation between salivary flow and threshold was observed in the young group only. These results showed a difference in oral astringency perception as a function of age for the first time. This difference can be linked to salivary properties that differ as a function of age.

This review explores the application of the conservative management model for pain to sports-related concussions (SRCs), framing concussions as a distinct form of pain syndrome with a pathophysiological foundation in central sensitization. Drawing parallels with proven pain management models, we underscore the significance of a proactive approach to concussion management. Recognizing concussions as a pain syndrome allows for the tailoring of interventions in alignment with conservative principles. This review first covers the epidemiology and controversies surrounding prolonged concussion recovery and persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS). Next, the pathophysiology of concussions is presented within the central sensitization framework, emphasizing the need for early intervention to mitigate the neuroplastic changes that lead to heightened pain sensitivity. Five components of the central sensitization process specific to concussion injuries are highlighted as targets for conservative interventions in the acute period: peripheral sensitization, cerebral metabolic dysfunction, neuroinflammation, glymphatic system dysfunction, and pain catastrophizing. These proactive interventions are emphasized as pivotal in accelerating concussion recovery and reducing the risk of prolonged symptoms and PPCS, in line with the philosophy of conservative management.

Background: Endometriosis affects between 1% to 10% of women worldwide; it is associated with a significant burden on the woman, her relationships, productivity, mental health, family and society. Aim:To contribute to the current understanding of the impact of endometriosis on women’s lives by integrating qualitative research findings to explore the illness experiences of women living with endometriosis. Study design:Synthesis of qualitative data using Britten’s meta-ethnography.Methods:Six bibliographic databases (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus and PsycINFO) and Google Scholar were searched for peer-reviewed papers published in English language from inception of until August 6th 2021. Results: Fifteen studies were included in the data synthesis. The review included a total of 354 women from fourteen countries (including South Africa, Iran, England, Australia and United States of America), of age range 16-78 years. Subjects represented diverse ethnicities, cultures and native languages distributed across socioeconomic classes. Representation of all stages of endometriosis was included.Findings incorporate the following nine categories into a conceptual model: disease symptoms; health services experience; isolation and limited social participation; limited physical functioning; a coterie of emotions; sex and intimate relationships; infertility; work life and education; coping strategies and support. Diagnostic delays, persistent symptoms, healthcare costs and inadequate education to patients about the disease; all intersect into a web of struggles and incoherence for patients. Conclusion:Women with endometriosis living in various countries report similar illness experiences; although gender roles, culture and socio-economic status may act as mediating factors that shape an individual’s illness experience.

In Ethiopia, bamboo thickets and woodlands play an important role in soil-water conservation and climate change mitigation in arid and semi-arid regions. However, bamboo mass flower-ing, rapid demographic changes and expansion of agricultural investments to bamboo domi-nated areas have led to deforestation and land degradation. In this study, we determined the effects of deforestation and subsequent cultivation on soil physical and chemical properties along a chronosequence of closely located agricultural lands with different ages (1, 3, 5 and 7 years) since converted from natural lowland bamboo forest. Hence, soil samples (n = 90) have been taken from both natural bamboo forests and adjacent agricultural lands at two soil depths (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm). Our result showed that CEC, K+, Ca+, Mg+ and available P were varied significantly with respect to cultivation periods and soil depth, while soil pH and Na+ varied with soil depth (P < 0.001). Soil C and total N contents (g/kg) in 0-20 cm soil layer declined significantly and exponentially with increasing years under cultivation. Conversion of natural bamboo forest to cropland during the past seven-year period significantly increased soil pH with soil depths, while CEC was declined throughout the cultivation period and soil depth. In general, the result revealed that conversion of natural lowland bamboo and subsequent cultivation of soil had negative effects on measured soil physicochemical properties.

Practicing preventive etiquettes such as hand washing, hand disinfection, wearing a face mask, practicing physical distancing, disinfection of surfaces and objects can help curb the transmission of COVID-19 at the workplace. This paper focuses on interventions and behaviors required to curb the spread of COVID-19 at workplaces. We undertook a detailed multi-disciplinary literature search on the following topics: hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, physical distancing, quarantine and isolation, disinfection of objects and surfaces, behavior change, and health crisis communication. We identified interventions that are effective for preventing the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) at workplaces. These findings present very useful non-clinical interventions for preventing COVID-19 in the work environment.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a high value horticultural crop in Kenya. Nutritionally, the crop is rich in niacin, carotene, thiamine, and vitamin C. Mwea in Kirinyaga County is one of the major tomato growing areas in Kenya. Tomato production in Kenya is hindered by losses due to diseases caused by pathogens that include plant parasitic nematodes (PPN). Among the plant parasitic nematodes, the root-knot nematode (RKN) is the most predominant in Mwea. This study investigated the soil parameters that influence the distribution of the RKN for the purpose of mapping their distribution. This is important since it ensures that nematicide application is only to specific sites where these nematodes are found thereby saving on input costs as well as protecting the environment. The study consisted of surveys conducted in geo-referenced tomato production fields in seven (7) tomato production sites in Tebere and Mwea. Sampling was done in a stratified random manner in both rainfed and irrigated tomato production fields in both dry and rainy seasons for determination of the spatial and temporal distribution of nematodes, respectively. Nematode extraction was done using the centrifugal floatation technique and identification done to genera level using morphological features. Soil characteristics determining PPN distribution patterns in tomato production fields of Mwea were measured using standard methods. Soil parameters measured included soil pH, electrical conductivity, elevation and soil texture. The PPN incidence and diversity was determined using the Shannon-Weiner species diversity index. Detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA) was performed to interpret and summarize major patterns of variation within the soil variable data and to estimate the ability of each soil variable to reflect variance in the entire PPN data set. Fourteen (14) genera of nematodes were identified with the diversity between 0.6 and 1.2. RKN distribution differed significantly (p<0.05) among the sites. Among the soil samples analyzed, 81% were positive for RKN infestation. There was an insignificant difference (p>0.05) between nematode densities in the dry and rainy seasons. Rainfed fields exhibited a significantly higher (p<0.05) RKN population densities compared to irrigated fields. The study established a great variability in the soil parameters in the area. The RKN distribution pattern, density and abundance were inversely correlated (p<0.05) with the soil pH and positively correlated (p<0.05) with soil EC. Based on the inverse relationship between soil pH and RKN distribution in the Mwea ecosystem, maps of nematode distribution and soil pH were developed. This enables the possibility of a site specific system for management of RKN

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a worldwide public health problem. Chronic infection by HCV can lead to liver cirrhosis or cancer. Although some immune-competent individuals can clear the virus, others develop chronic HCV disease due to viral mutations or an impaired immune response. IFNs type I and III and the signal transduction induced by them are essential for a proper antiviral effect. Research on the viral cycle and immune escape mechanisms have generated the basis of therapeutic strategies to achieve a sustained virological response (SVR). The first therapies were based on IFN-, then IFN-α plus ribavirin (IFN-RBV); then, pegylated-IFN--RBV (PEGIFNα-RIV) to improve cytokine pharmacokinetics. However, the maximum SVR was 60%, and several significant side effects were observed, decreasing the patients' treatment adherence. The development of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) significantly enhanced SVR (&gt; 90%); the compounds were able to inhibit HCV replication without significant side effects, even in pediatric populations. The management of coinfected patients HBV-HCV and HCV-HIV has also improved based on DAA and PEG-IFNα-RBV (HBV-HCV). CD4 cells are crucial for an effective antiviral response. IFNλ3, IL28B, TNF-α, IL-10, TLR-3, and TLR-9 gene polymorphisms are involved in viral clearance, therapeutic responses, and hepatic pathologies. Future research focuses on searching for strategies to circumvent resistance-associated substitution (RAS) to DAAs, develop new therapeutic schemes for different medical conditions, including organ transplant, and develop vaccines for long-lasting cellular and humoral responses with cross-protection to different HCV genotypes. The goal is to minimise the probability of HCV infection, HCV chronicity and hepatic carcinoma.

In modern automobiles, Infotainment High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems play a vital role in enhancing the capabilities of drivers and passengers by providing advanced features consisting of music, navigation, communication, entertainment, etc. However, as the use of information technology in vehicles increases, it results in cybersecurity threats such as data breaches and the loss of sensitive information. To improve the security of the infotainment system in automotive vehicles, the research conducted threat modeling at the component level using Microsoft’s STRIDE tool and performed risk assessment by using SAHARA (Safety-Aware Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment) and DREAD methodologies to evaluate associated risks. It provides a systematic representation of threats, associated risks, and generic mitigation strategies to counter cybersecurity attacks. Through the threat modeling process, 34 potential security threats were identified. The study also provided a comparative analysis to calculate the risk values of the threats to prioritize for treatment. These identified threats and associated risks need to be considered to avoid potential cyberattacks, before deploying the infotainment HPC system in real-world automotive vehicles.

Anorectal malformations (ARMs) represent a wide spectrum of congenital anomalies of the anus and rectum, of which more than half are syndromic. Their etiology is highly heterogeneous and still poorly understood. We report a 4-year-old girl who initially presented with an isolated ARM, and subsequently developed a global developmental delay as part of an ARID1B-related Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS). The co-occurrence of ARMs and CSS in an individual is unexpected since both diseases are very rare. A review of the literature enabled us to identify 12 individuals with both CSS and ARMs. Among these 12 individuals, 9 had a variant in ARID1A, 2 in ARID1B, and 1 in SMARCA4. This more frequent than expected association between CSS and ARM indicates that some ARMs are likely a rare consequence of CSS, especially for ARID1A-related CSS.

The spectra currently emerging from modern ground- and space-based astronomical instruments are of exceptionally high quality and resolution. To meaningfully analyse these spectra researchers utilise complex modelling codes to replicate the observations. The main inputs to these codes are atomic data such as excitation and photoionisation cross sections as well as radiative transition probabilities, energy levels and line strengths. In this publication the current capabilities of the numerical methods and computer packages used in the generation of these data are discussed. Particular emphasis is given to Fe-peak species and the heavy systems of tungsten and molybdenum. Some of the results presented to highlight certain issues and/or advances have already been published in the literature, while other sections present, for the first time, new recently evaluated atomic data.

African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) is a multi-purpose economic tree with genetic potentials in sub-Saharan Africa. Its cultivation and production is declining with increased aging and genetically threatened throughout its natural ranges. Research efforts are needed to change the present scenario to sustainable cultivation and utilization, hence this present study. This study was aimed at evaluating genetic diversity and geographical spread relationships of twenty landraces collected from different ecological zones of Nigeria using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Ten SSR markers were screened and five primers (PbL02, PbL03, PbL04, PbL05 and PbL09) were selected based on clear amplification products and reproducible scorable bands. The SSR primers detected a total of 55 alleles ranged from 10 to 14 alleles with a mean of 11. The percentage polymorphisms were high and ranged from 68.75 % in PbL04 to 84.21 % in PbL05 with a mean of 74.16 %. The polymorphic information content (PIC) was in the range of 0.31 in PbL02 to 0.37 in PbL09. The genetic diversity and heterozygosity values ranged from 0.39 to 0.50 and 0.00 to 0.68 while the average genetic distance for all pair wise comparisons was 0.31.The first five Principal Component (PC) accounted for 70.20 % of the total variation out of which PC1 (31.50%) and PC2 (19.20%) extracted 49.70% molecular similarity. The dendrogram resulted in separation of the 19 landraces into three major clusters based on unweighted pair group method with arithmetic average. Cluster I comprised of five landraces: ABNo130 and BENo023; OYNo11, KANo125 and NiNo262 while cluster II had only one (BANo116). Cluster III was diverse comprising 13 landraces: ZANo188, KNNo162, KENo220, GMNo076 and EbNo260, ADNo64, EdNo164, KANo137, KENo217, KwNo270, NiNo241, OsNo206 and PLNo120. The homogeneity of alleles among the studied landraces suggested suspicion of loss of genetic intra-specific variation among the landraces of P. biglobosa which calls for concerted efforts toward better cultivation, conservation, management, utilization and genetic improvement of the species in Nigeria.

The public health risk associated with the autopsy unit is high and information on indoor microbial air contamination is limited. Airborne pathogenic fungi thrive in moist indoor environments similar to autopsy room conditions. They spread through spores, cause infections in immunocompromised patients, and exhibit resistance to antimicrobials, making them a public health threat. This study profiled fungi circulating in the indoor air of a referral autopsy unit in Accra, Ghana. The different sections of the unit were sampled using the standard open plate technique. Fungal isolates obtained were phenotypically and molecularly characterized. The resistance to fluconazole and itraconazole, as well as a germicide used in routine cleaning of the unit, was tested using broth microdilution assays. Fungi isolated include species of clinically relevant strains of Candida and Aspergillus; also, Penicillium spp. and Mucor spp. They exhibited high levels of resistance to fluconazole and itraconazole, as well as Denzal® germicide used in routine cleaning of the autopsy unit. This study is the first to profile the fungal diversity of an autopsy unit in Ghana, and the findings suggest that workers might be exposed to fungi with high pathogenic potential that could cause infections.

The study investigated determinants of open defecation among rural women in Ghana. The study extracted data from the female’s file of the 2003, 2008 and 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). A total of 4,284 pooled sample size of rural women aged 15-49 with complete information about the variables analyzed in the study. The outcome variable was “open defecation” (i.e., defecating in an open space rather than a toilet facility) whilst fourteen (14) key explanatory variables were used. Two regression models were built, and output reported in odds ratio. Descriptively, 42 in every 100 women aged 15-49 practised open defecation (n=1811, 95’CI=49-52). Open defecation significantly correlated with educational attainment, wealth status, religion, access to mass media, partner's education, and zone of residence. The likelihood to practice open defecation reduced among those with formal education [aOR=0.69, CI=0.56-0.85], those whose partners had formal education [aOR=0.64, CI=0.52-0.80], women in the rich wealth quintile [aOR=0.12, CI=0.07-0.20], the traditionalist [aOR=0.33, CI=0.19-0.57], and those who had access to mass media [aOR=0.70, CI=0.57-0.85]. Residents in the Savannah zone were over 21-fold higher to defecate openly [aOR=21.06, CI=15.97-27.77]. The prevalence of open defecation is disproportionately pro-poor indicating that impoverished rural women are more likely to perform it.

One method of estimating the evaporation rate (ER) is to use a variety of evaporation pans, such as the Class A standard evaporation pan (CASEP) and the Colorado Sanken standard evaporation pan (CSSEP). In this study, the rate of evaporation of CASEP and CSSEP have been investigated and compared with each other. This study was conducted in Semnan, Iran. CSSEP was used as a test pan, which was performed in an open space around the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Semnan University. Evaporation was recorded daily for 123 days. The evaporation of the CASEP pan was obtained from the synoptic station of Semnan, which is located at a distance of 2.39 km from the test site. Meteorological data were also obtained from the synoptic station of Semnan and compared with experimental evaporation data. The results of this study showed that the daily ER from CASEP and CSSEP in the tested time periods were not significantly different. Based on the Klomogorov-Sminrov method, the best statistical distributions for CASEP and CSSEP were calculated as Error and Gamma, respectively. The coefficient of determination (R 2 ) between the two pans was estimated to be about 93%. Also, by examining the ER with other meteorological data, it was observed that the ER has the highest correlation with the average daily air temperature.

Air quality has been a major concern throughout the world, Nigeria inclusive. The monitoring of air quality involves indoor and outdoor air quality. In this study, our concern was on indoor air quality. The aim of this study was to assess the air quality of residential homes (17), classrooms (3), hospitals (2), offices (5), Shops (2), and laboratories (5) in Akure, Nigeria in terms of formaldehyde (HCHO), total volatile organic compound (TVOC), Particulate matter (PM_1.0; PM_2.5, and PM₁₀). A Multifunction Air Detector was used for the assessment using the manufacturers’ procedures and the locations were identified using a Mini GPS. The results revealed as follows: HCHO (0.001-0.030 mg/m³), TVOC (0.003-362 mg/m³), PM_1.0 (004-014 µg/m³), PM_2.5 (006-020 µg/m³), and PM₁₀ (006-022 µg/m³). The results obtained were below the 24 h pollution recommended standards (0.1 mg/m³- HCHO; TVOC; 10-20 μ/m³ PM) of EPA and WHO. Statistically, there were correlations within the pollutants and weather. The Indoor air quality (IAQ) depicted the areas as ‘good,’ and toxicity potential (TP) were below unity. Although the locations looked safe, it is recommended that constant monitoring of the indoors should be ensured and proper ventilation should be provided.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.2 sets an ambitious target of leaving no one without adequate sanitation by 2030. The key concern is the lack of local human and financial capital to fund the collection of reliable information to monitor progress towards the goal. As a result, national and local records may be telling a different story of the proportion of safely managed sanitation that counts towards achieving the SDGs. This paper unveils such inconsistency in sanitation data generated by urban authorities and proposes a simple approach for collecting reliable and verifiable information on access to safely managed sanitation. The paper is based on a study conducted in Babati Town Council in Tanzania. Using a smartphone-based survey tool, city health officers were trained to map 17,383 housing units in the town. A housing unit may comprise of two or more households. The findings show that 5% practice open defecation, while 82% of the housing units have some forms of sanitation. Despite the extensive coverage, only 31% of the faecal sludge generated is safely contained, while 64% is not. This study demonstrates the possibility of using simple survey tools to collect reliable data for monitoring progress towards safely managed sanitation in the towns of global south.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) function may depend on its anatomical location and developmental origin. Interscapular BAT (iBAT) regulates acute macronutrient metabolism, whilst perivascular BAT (PVAT) regulates vascular function. Although phenotypically similar, whether these depots respond differently to acute nutrient excess is unclear. Given their distinct anatomical locations and developmental origins and we hypothesised that iBAT and PVAT would respond differently to brief period of nutrient excess. Sprague-Dawley rats aged 12 weeks (n = 12) were fed either a standard (10% fat, n = 6) or high fat diet (HFD: 45% fat, n = 6) for 72 h and housed at thermoneutrality. Following an assessment of whole body physiology, fat was collected from both depots for analysis of gene expression and the proteome. HFD consumption for 72 h induced rapid weight gain (c. 2.6%) and reduced serum NEFA with no change in either total adipose or depot mass. In iBAT, an upregulation of genes involved in insulin signalling and lipid metabolism was accompanied by enrichment of lipid-related processes and functions, plus glucagon and PPAR signalling pathways. In PVAT, HFD induced a pronounced down-regulation of multiple metabolic pathways which was accompanied with increased abundance of proteins involved in apoptosis (e.g. Hdgf and Ywaq) and toll-like receptor signalling (Ube2n). There was also an enrichment of DNA-related processes and functions (e.g., nucleosome assembly and histone exchange) and RNA degradation and cell adhesion pathways. In conclusion, we show that iBAT and PVAT elicit divergent responses to short-term nutrient excess highlighting early adaptations in these depots before changes in fat mass.

Influenza virus imprinting is now understood to significantly the influence immune responses and clinical outcome of influenza virus infections that occur later in life. Due to the yearly cycling of influenza viruses, humans are imprinted with the circulating virus of their birth year to subsequently build a complex influenza virus immune history but very little is known about how the imprinting strain influences vaccine responses. To investigate the imprinted host immune responses to split-virion vaccination, we imprinted ferrets with a sublethal dose of the historical seasonal H1N1 strain A/USSR/90/1977. After a +60 day recovery period was given to build immune memory, ferrets were immunized and the challenge at Day 123. Samples were collected throughout the time course and immunological assays were performed to investigate recall mechanisms. The preimmune-vaccinated ferrets did not experience significant disease during challenge while naïve-vaccinated ferrets had severe disease. Hemagglutination inhibition assays showed preimmune ferrets had a more robust antibody response post vaccination, increased virus neutralization activity. Virus specific immunoglobulins were of predominantly the IgG isotype suggesting B cell maturity and plasticity at vaccination. These results are important and should be considered for vaccine design.

New developments in broadcast technology, such as the ad hoc wireless network and the detection devices that work, enable daily connections to the Internet, commonly referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT saw this as a support for the development of creative and contextual services and applications. The service can respond to the user's environment and preferences. Finite state machines are recently making waves when the issue of self-controlling systems come into the picture of designs. This research focuses on the design of a fault tolerant system that controls random failures impressed on the network. The method comprises of diodes, Resistors, Optocouplers, ESP8266 WI-FI Module Webpage with button, and two Arduinos which in effect will determine iteratively who to handle a failure at hand modelled as when the button on the webpage is pressed. In this work, a Heartbeat Detection and Monitoring System will be made using Arduino that detect the electrical state using the Pulse Sensor and show the readings in Beats Per Minute on the LED connected a microcontroller. It sends the texts to the server using the Wi-Fi module ESP8266 to signals can be monitored from the monitoring zone via the internet. This is reflected by the declaration of a master state by either of two Arduinos whenever the push button is pressed as observed on the codes. The result obtained from the research shows apparently, the state of the fault tolerance system none power deny of heartbeat condition connected to the LED.

Biomarkers have the potential to aid in the study of Alzheimer’s disease (AD); unfortunately, AD biomarker values often have a high degree of overlap between healthy and AD individuals. This study investigates the potential utility of a series of novel AD biomarkers, the sixty second ¹²⁹Xe retention time, and the xenon washout parameter, based on the washout of hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe from the brain of AD participants following inhalation. The xenon washout parameter is influenced by cerebral perfusion, T1 relaxation of xenon, and the xenon partition coefficient, all factors influenced by AD. Participants with Alzheimer’s disease (n=4) and healthy volunteers (n=4) were imaged using hyperpolarized ¹²⁹Xe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to determine the amount of retain xenon in the brain. At 60 sec post breath hold, AD patients retained significantly higher amounts of ¹²⁹Xe compared to healthy controls. Data was fit to a pharmacokinetic model and the xenon washout parameter was extracted. Xenon washout in white and grey matter occurs at a slower rate in Alzheimer’s participants (¹²⁹Xe half-life time of 42s and 43s, respectively) relative to controls (20s and 16s, respectively). Following larger scale clinical trials for validation, the xenon washout parameter has the potential to become a useful biomarker for the support of an AD diagnosis.

In livestock, brucellosis is mainly an asymptomatic disease except for abortion, therefore two serological tests are used for diagnosis as no single test is suitable. Abattoir samples enable a combination of culture, molecular and serological tests to detect brucellosis. This study assessed Brucella specific PCR (ITS-PCR) to detect brucellosis and to conduct molecular characterization of Brucella spp. isolated from PCR-positive livestock (n=565) slaughtered at abattoirs and the appropriate sample tissue(s). ITS-PCR detected Brucella DNA in 33.6% cattle, 14.5% sheep and 4.7% pig tissues. Impure Brucella cultures from PCR-positive tissues were 43.6% (44/94) cattle, 51.7% (15/29) sheep, and 50% (2/4) pigs with predominantly B. abortus identification with AMOS-PCR and low isolation of mixed B. abortus and B. melitensis in all species. In cattle 33% of isolates were from lymph nodes while in sheep 38.0% were from liver and kidney and only from tonsils in pigs (2/4). Brucella infections identified with AMOS-PCR were present in seropositive and mainly seronegative (75.6-100%) livestock with the potential to cause brucellosis during pregnancy or breeding. This study demonstrated the value of the polyphasic approach, especially with chronic infections and the potential risk of these asymptomatic animals.

This study presents a comprehensive assessment of indoor particulate matter (PM) concentrations, focusing on PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 in five Primary Health Centers (PHCs): Arakale, Federal College of Agriculture (FECA), Iju, Oba-Ile, and Owode within Akure Local Government Areas in Nigeria. The primary novelty of this research lies in its detailed exploration of the toxicity potential of these PM fractions, providing valuable insights into the local air quality and associated health risks. The study assesses the health implications by calculating the toxicity potential (TP), Relative Risk (RR), Excess Risk (ER), and Attributable Fractions (AF) for cardiopulmonary and lung cancer mortality. The results reveal varying RR values for all-cause mortality, with Arakale showing a slight elevation (RR: 1.061), indicating potential health risks. ER values for cardiopulmonary mortality range from 14.728±7.25 to 19.04±0.38, emphasizing the substantial excess risk associated with long-term PM2.5 exposure. The study also uncovers AF for cardiopulmonary mortality ranging between 11.03±0.31 to 19.22±0.04, underscoring the significant contribution of PM to cardiovascular and respiratory health risks. Similarly, AF for lung cancer mortality ranges from 10.03±0.012 to 17.13±0.10, highlighting the substantial association between PM2.5 exposure and lung cancer risk. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted air quality management strategies and public health interventions in the studied locations to mitigate the heightened health risks associated with particulate matter pollution. The calculated RR, ER, and AF values offer crucial insights into the complex relationship between PM exposure and adverse health outcomes, providing a foundation for informed decision-making and future research endeavors.

Diabetes is one of the fatal diseases that play a vital role in the growth of other diseases in the human body. Controlling and curing diabetes in its early stages is the most significant technique to avoid its effects of diabetes. However, lack of awareness and expensive clinical tests are the primary reasons to skip clinical diagnosis and take preventive methods in lower-income countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. From this perspective, the study aims to build an automated machine learning (ML) model, which will predict diabetes at an early stage using socio-demographic characteristics rather than clinical attributes. Because clinical features are not always known to all people from lower-income countries. To find the best fit supervised ML classifier of the model, we applied six classification algorithms and found that RF outperformed with an accuracy of 99.36%. In addition, the most significant risk factors were found based on the SHAP value by all the applied classifiers. The study reveals that polyuria, polydipsia, and delayed healing are the most significant risk factors for growing diabetes. The findings indicate that the proposed model is highly capable of predicting diabetes in the early stages.

The UK food industry faces significant challenges to remain sustainable. With major challenges such as Brexit on the horizon, companies can no longer rely on a low labour cost workforce to maintain low production costs and achieve economic sustainability. Smart Systems (SS) is being seen as an approach towards achieving significant improvements in both economic and environmental sustainability. However, there is little evidence to indicate whether UK food companies are prepared for the implementation of such systems. The purpose of this research is to explore the applicability of Smart Systems in UK food manufacturing companies and, to identify the key priority areas and improvement levers for the implementation of such systems. A triangulated primary research approach is adopted and includes a questionnaire, follow up interviews and visits to thirty-two food manufacturing companies in the UK. The questionnaire and interviews are guided by the development of a unique measuring instrument created by the authors that is focusses upon SS technologies and systems. This paper makes an original contribution in that it is one of few academic studies to explore the implementation of SS in the industry and, provides a new perspective on the key drivers and inhibitors around its implementation. Findings suggest that the current turbulence in the industry could be bringing food companies closer to the adoption of such systems, hence it is a good time to define and develop the optimum SS implementation strategy.

Introduction: Since its discovery in late 2019, the novel coronavirus (SARSCOVID-2) that causes COVID-19 has spread fast, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to designate the disease a worldwide pandemic on March 11, 2020.The epidemic has profoundly altered the preexisting global sexual and reproductive health landscape .The virus’s load has put ordinary services in jeopardy and harmed other health priorities. This encompasses both the provision and the supply of contraceptives, sexual health, new born and maternal health services. This Scoping review therefore mapped the availability evidence on the impact and effects of the COVID-19 disease outbreak on sexual and reproductive health. Methods: The methodological framework by Arksey and O’Malley guided this scoping review. A literature search was conducted from the following databases: Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, WOS, and AJOL. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram and the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist were used to document the review process. The Strobe critical review checklist was used to determine the quality of the included studies. Results:19 studies were reviewed, out of which 4 were cross sectional studies, 1 was an observational study, 1 was a descriptive analytical study and the rest were qualitative studies .Majority of the studies showed evidence on the impact of COVID-19 and family planning service, maternal and child services, and three studies reported on COVID-19 and sexual behaviour. Five of the nineteen included studies reported on the impact of COVID-19 and family planning service. Conclusion: This scoping review has granted the assessment of the impact of novel SARS-CoV-2 on Sexual and reproductive health services with regards to sexual behaviour, family planning and maternal, neonatal and child health. From the 18 articles identified and reviewed, the overall responses stipulated a significant reduction in client’s utilization of services due to challenges experiences in service implementation such as stock outs. In addition, low demand for reproductive health services by clients due to restrictions imposed on the movements of people to curb the spread of the virus. It is therefore important that Governments and relevant stakeholders in Maternal and Sexual Reproductive Health prioritize development of policies and practices that protect women from the impacts of the pandemic. Furthermore, regular audits to detect trends in MSRH are necessary to inform on going mitigation efforts.

Recent pollinator declines have focused efforts on their conservation which require clear estimates of pollination value to agriculture. Our socio-economic producer surveys and agronomic field research data were used to present a new way of estimating ecosystem service value of native pollinators. Using two regionally important U.S.A. crops, Maine wild blueberry and Massachusetts cranberry as models, we present perceived values of native bee pollinators from both consumer and producers. Wild blueberry’s Replacement Cost (RC) was greater than Attributable Net Income (ANI), since greater rented honey bee stocking densities are required. Attributable Net Income for native bees were similar for wild blueberry ($613/ha) and cranberry ($689/ha). Marginal Net Farm Income (MNFI) from incrementally adding more hives per ha was greater from stocking a third/fourth hive per ha for cranberry ($6,206) than stocking a ninth/tenth hive per ha for wild blueberry ($556), given greater responsiveness of yield, revenue, and profit to using rented honey bee hives in cranberry compared to wild blueberry. Both crops’ producers were only willing to annually invest $140–188/ha in native pollination enhancements on their farms, justifying government support. Consumers are willing to pay ~6.7 times more to support native bees than producers, supporting market-based support for invertebrate conservation.

: Background: Vaccination against COVID-19 has been the main strategy used by most countries to limit the spread of the virus. However, vaccine uptake has been low in Africa, leading to the implementation of several interventions in order to improve vaccine coverage. This study was conducted due to the lack of information about COVID-19 vaccine coverage and the factors associated with vaccine hesitancy. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Kinshasa city using multi-stage random sampling. A total of 2160 households were included in the study. The data were analyzed using Stata 15 software. The means and standard deviations were calculated for normally distributed continuous variables, while proportions with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for categorical variables. Pearson’s chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used to test the associations between dependent variables and each independent variable. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with hesitancy receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Results: The majority of respondents were aged between 25 and 34 and 35 and 49 (28.9%). During this study, 15% (95% CI [13.25–17.9]) of respondents had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Among the reasons given for refusing to be vaccinated, most respondents cited concerns about the vaccine being unsafe or causing adverse reactions (45%). Among the reasons given for accepting the vaccine, 26% thought that the vaccine prevented superinfection. The factors associated with hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine were female gender, an age of less than 35 years, and living in non-slum households. Conclusions: Despite the interventions implemented across the country, the reluctance to be vaccinated remains a problem; this could lead to poor health outcomes, especially among the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. It is important to step up awareness-raising campaigns in the community in order to increase the uptake of vaccination.

Background: There is an upsurge in the consumption of chicken meat leading to a high influx of imported frozen chicken parts into the Ghanaian markets with little information on their microbial qualities. This study examined the microbial quality of imported frozen chicken parts from three major import countries (USA, the Netherlands and Brazil) into the Kumasi Metropolis. Methods: A total of 45 chicken meat parts of 15 thighs, wings and backs from wholesale cold stores market in the Kumasi Metropolis were randomly sampled for laboratory examinations. A ten-fold serial dilution was performed on each homogenized chicken parts to determine microbiological quality using Plate Count Agar [1], MacConkey Agar (MCA), Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) and Desoxycholate Citrate Agar (DCA) for the total viable count (TVC), total coliform count (TCC), Staphylococcus and Salmonella spp counts respectively incubated at 37oC for 48 hours. Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) was used for fungal counts. We identified bacterial and fungal isolates using appropriate laboratory and biochemical tests. Descriptive data analysis was carried using SPSS-IBM version 16. Results: Mean TVCs of 5.93, 5.98 and 6.14 log10cfu/g were recorded for frozen chicken meats from the USA, the Netherlands and Brazil respectively. Means TCCs of 6.14, 5.93 and 5.98 log10cfu/g were obtained for chicken meats from Brazil, USA and the Netherlands respectively. Staphylococcus spp. (35.4%), E. coli (26.2%), Salmonella spp. (24.6%), and Klebsiella spp. (13.8%) were isolated with Aspergillus spp (33.3%), Rhizopus spp (27.3%), Penicillin spp (24.2%), and Cladosporium spp (15.2%). Chicken thighs, backs and wings recorded 46.2%, 29.2% and 24.6% bacterial contaminants in this order. Bacterial isolates of 49.2%, 28.8% and 22.0% were recorded in frozen chicken meat products from Brazil, the Netherlands USA respectively. Conclusion: The results suggest that imported frozen chicken meats into the Ghanaian market have moderate quality with potential pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella spp.

Influenza virus infection causes severe respiratory illness in people worldwide, disproportionately affecting infants. The immature respiratory tract coupled with the developing immune system is thought to synergistically play a role in the increased disease severity in younger age groups. Although vaccines remain the best solution for protecting this vulnerable population, no vaccines are available for those under 6 months, and for infants aged 6 months to 2 years, the vaccine elicits a dampened immune response. Dampened immune responses may be due to unique features of the infant immune system and a lack of pre-existing immunity. Unlike older children and adults, the infant immune system is Th2 skewed and has less antigen presenting cells and soluble immune factors. Paradoxically, we know that a person’s first infection with the influenza virus during infancy or childhood leads to the establishment of life-long immunity toward that particular virus strain. This is called influenza imprinting. To provide better protection against influenza virus infection and disease in infants, more research must be conducted to understand the imprinting event. We contend that by understanding influenza imprinting in the context of the infant immune system and the infant’s immature respiratory tract, we will be able to design more effective influenza vaccines for both infants and adults. Working through the lens of imprinting, using infant influenza animal models such as mice and ferrets, which have proven useful for infant immunity studies, we will gain a better understanding of imprinting and its implications regarding vaccine design. This review examines literature regarding infant immune development, current vaccine strategies, respiratory development, and the importance of researching the imprinting event in infant animal models to develop more effective and protective vaccines for young children.

Pattern recognition techniques form the heart of most, if not all, incoherent linear shift-invariant systems. When an object is recorded using a camera, the object information gets sampled by the point spread function (PSF) of the system, replacing every object point with the PSF in the sensor. The PSF is a sharp Kronecker Delta-like function when the numerical aperture (NA) is large with no aberrations. When the NA is small, and the system has aberrations, the PSF appears blurred. In the above case, if the PSF is known, then the object information can be obtained by scanning the PSF over the recorded object intensity pattern and looking for pattern matching conditions through a mathematical process called correlation. In this study, a recently developed deconvolution method, the Lucy-Richardson-Rosen algorithm (LR2A), has been implemented to computationally refocus images recorded in the presence of spatio-spectral aberrations. The performance of LR2A was compared against the Lucy-Richardson algorithm and non-linear reconstruction. LR2A exhibits a superior deconvolution capability even in extreme cases of spatio-spectral aberrations and blur. Experimental results of deblurring a picture captured using high-resolution smartphone cameras are presented. LR2A was implemented to significantly improve the performances of the widely used deep convolutional neural networks for image classification.

There are several challenges on how to attain energy efficiency while maintaining balance among factors affecting energy consumption such as power rating and temperature setpoints of cooling units, room temperature and humidity, and indoor air quality (IAQ). A real-time energy and IAQ monitoring system were installed in an educational building to profile the operational power consumption of inverter-based air condition unit (ACU) installed in each room. Polynomial curve and neural fitting regression analysis were applied to the real-time power consumption, indoor temperature and humidity, and carbon dioxide (CO2) level data. The derived models were able to provide the stabilizing indoor thermal and air conditions of the room to reach steady state ACU power consumption. These collected data and calculated parameters can be used to define rules in automating control of cooling appliances for an efficient energy utilization. The regression approaches, using real-time data, have determined the influence of indoor heat conditions and carbon dioxide levels on ACU power consumption. These parameters were utilized to establish consistent values for temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels under stable settings of inverter-based air conditioning units.

Tungiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by skin-penetrating female Tunga penetrans fleas. Although tungiasis causes severe health problems, its ecology is poorly understood and morphological descriptions of larvae are unavailable. To identify T. penetrans immature stages and sites where they develop, diagnostic PCRs are required. However, flea larvae feed on soil organic matter rich in PCR inhibitors. Here, three DNA preparation methods, a soil DNA kit removing inhibitors, a simple ammonium acetate precipitation approach (AmAcet) and a crude lysate of larvae (CL), were combined with amplification by the highly processive FIREPol® Taq or the inhibitor-resistant Phusion® polymerase. Independent of the polymerase used, frequency of successful amplification, Cq values and PCR efficacies for the low-cost CL and AmAcet methods were superior to the commercial kit for amplification of a 278 bp partial internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2) and a 730 bp pan-Siphonaptera cytochrome oxidase I PCR. For the CL method combined with Phusion® polymerase, costs were approximately 20-fold lower than for methods based on the soil DNA kit, which is a considerable advantage in resource-poor settings. The ITS-2 PCR did not amplify Ctenocephalides felis genomic or Tunga trimammilata ITS-2 plasmid DNA allowing it to be used to specifically identify T. penetrans.

Despite the well-documented health benefits of recreational sports, few opportunities exist in lower- and middle-income countries for adult women to participate in recreational physical activities. An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was used to explore associations between an innovative soccer program for adult women and self-reported health status. Cross-sectional survey data were collected in 2018-2019 from 702 women in the Nikumbuke Project, a health and literacy program in southeastern rural Kenya, followed by focus group discussions with 225 women who also participated in the Project's soccer program. Quantitative findings suggest that women who participated in soccer had 67% greater odds of reporting good or excellent health than their non-soccer playing peers. Thematic analysis of qualitative data indicated that women credited soccer with less pain, fatigue, and stress, as well as weight loss and reduced dependence on medicine for hypertension, pain, and sleep problems. Women equated health benefits with greater ease and efficiency in completing chores, reduced worries, youthful energy, male-like strength, and pleased husbands. Soccer programs for adult women may be particularly effective interventions in settings where access to health care is limited and where lack of opportunity to engage in physical aerobic activity increases women's risks for poor health outcomes. .

A refractive lens is one of the simplest, cost-effective and easily available imaging elements. With a spatially incoherent illumination, a refractive lens can faithfully map every object point to an image point in the sensor plane, when the object and image distances satisfy the imaging conditions. However, static imaging is limited to the depth of focus, beyond which the point-to-point mapping can be only obtained by changing either the location of the lens or the imaging sensor. In this study, the depth of focus of a refractive lens in static mode has been expanded using a recently developed computational reconstruction method, Lucy-Richardson-Rosen algorithm (LRRA). The technique consists of three steps. In this first step, the point spread functions (PSFs) were recorded along different depths and stored in the computer as PSF library. In the next step, the object intensity distribution was recorded. The LRRA was then applied to deconvolve the object information from the recorded intensity distributions in the final step. The results of LRRA were compared against two well-known reconstruction methods namely Lucy-Richardson algorithm and non-linear reconstruction.

Background: There are ongoing workforce challenges with the delivery of long-term care (LTC), such as staffing decisions based on arbitrary standards. The Synergy tool, a resident-centered approach to staffing, pro-vides objective, real-time acuity and dependency scores (Synergy scores) for residents. The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate the impact of the Synergy tool on LTC delivery. Methods: A longitudinal mixed methods study took place within two publicly-funded LTC homes in British Columbia, Canada. Quantitative data included weekly Synergy scores for residents (24 weeks), monthly aggregated resident falls data (18 months) and a six-month economic evaluation. Qualitative data were gathered from family caregivers and thematically analyzed. Results: Quantitative findings from Synergy scores revealed considerable variability for resident acuity/dependency needs within and across units; and falls decreased during implementation. The six-month economic evaluation demonstrated some cost savings by comparing Synergy tool training and implementation costs with savings from resident fall rates reductions. Qualitative analyses yielded three positive impacts themes (improved care delivery, better communication, and improved resident-family-staff relationships), and two negative structural themes (language barrier and staff shortages). Conclusions: The Synergy tool provides useful data for enhancing a ‘fit’ between resident needs and available staff.

The paper focuses on the application of a multilevel, integrative and territorial approach to the protection of cultural heritage through planning instruments in Serbia. It points out the problems of the sectoral approach and discusses international recommendations that can be integrated into the planning methodology. The case study is the area of Djerdap National Park, which has an already established international and national importance. The research suggests that the cultural heritage in the area, with the exception of the Roman limes, is still recognized at the level of individual localities. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning all levels of governance to safeguard the whole spatial entity rather than focusing solely on its particular areas. The interna-tional and national importance of the planning area contributes to the strengthening of awareness of heritage and its institutional protection. However, the vitality of the area, which is key to its sustainable development, comes from the local level. Planning documents contribute to the inte-gration of local values and local communities into development programs and projects.

Outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns seastar (CoTS) represent a major cause of coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef. Outbreaks might be explained by enhanced larval survival supported by higher phytoplankton availability after flood events, yet little is known about CoTS larvae feeding behaviour, in particular their potential for selective feeding. Here, single- and mixed-species feeding experiments were conducted on CoTS bipinnaria larvae using five algae (Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Pavlova lutheri, Tisochrysis lutea , Dunaliella sp. and Chaetoceros sp.) and two algal concentrations (1000 and 2500 algae mL^-1). Cell counts using flow-cytometry at the beginning and end of each incubation experiment allowed us to calculate the filtration and ingestion rates of each species by CoTS larvae. In line with previous studies, CoTS larvae ingested more algae when initial algal concentration was higher. We found evidence for the selective ingestion of some species (Chaetoceros sp., Dunaliella sp.) over others (P. lutheri, P. tricornutum). The preferred algal species had the highest energy content, suggesting that CoTS selectively ingested the most energetic algae. Ultimately, combining these results with spatio-temporal patterns in phytoplankton communities will help elucidate the role of larval feeding behaviour in determining the frequency and magnitude of CoTS outbreaks.

The illegal wildlife trade is a significant threat to global biodiversity, often targeting already threatened species. In combating the trade, it is critical to know the provenance of the traded animal or part, to facilitate targeted conservation actions, such as education and enforcement. Here we present and compare two methods, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and stable isotope analysis (SIA), to determine both the geographic and source provenance (captive or wild) of traded animals and their parts. Using three critically endangered, frequently illegally traded Philippine species, the Palawan forest turtle (Siebenrockiella leytensis), the Philippine cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia), and the Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensisis) we demonstrate that using these methods we can more accurately assign provenance using pXRF data (x ̅ = 83%), than SIA data (x ̅ = 47%). Our results indicate that these methods provide a valuable forensic tool that can be used in combating the illegal wildlife trade.

Liquid metal alloy, incorporated with microfluidic manipulation, has become a promising candidate for flexible resistive sensor array (RSA) that can imitate the functions of human skin. One advantage of RSA with shared rows and shared columns is to reduce the number of wires from M × N to M + N (rows: M and columns: N) and hence to greatly lessen the complexity and burden on the electrical system. The associated drawback is the crosstalk effect between adjacent elements during measurement. Although many literatures have reported several methods to resolve this limitation, almost all of them focus only on the high resistance value (≥100 Ω) RSA. There is a lack of detailed experimental data that addresses low resistance RSA with sensing elements below 100 Ω. Here, we aim to fill the gap of this field. We established two common RSA readout systems, i.e. zero potential methods (ZPM) (setting non-scanned-sampling-electrode zero potential (S-NSSE-ZP) and setting non-scanned-sampling-electrode zero potential with amplifier (S-NSSE-ZP-A)) and to compare their performances in low resistance value (≤100 Ω) RSA. For ideal resistor RSA, the measurement results show that S-NSSE-ZP has at least one time higher error than S-NSSE-ZP-A.

Skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTI) are common cases of hospital-acquired infections with aetiologic agents exhibiting antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We determined the prevalence, proportion of laboratory-investigated cases, AMR-profiles, and factors associated with SSTI and multi-drug resistance (MDR). This study was based on archived data of patients suspected of SSTI from 2019-2021 at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital. The analysis involved 268 randomly selected patient reports. Prevalence of SSTI was 66.4%. Laboratory-investigated cases were 14.11%. Staphylococcus aureus (n=51) was the most isolated organism. MDR pathogens explained 47% of infections. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus was up to 44%. In addition, 61% of Gram-negatives had the potential to produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, while 27% were non-susceptible to carbapenems. Ward of admission was significantly associated with infection (aPR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.003-3.18, p-value=0.04). Age category (19-35) was an independent predictor for MDR infections (aPR=2.30, 95%CI:1.02-5.23, p-value=0.04). The prevalence is relatively high with MDR pathogens responsible for almost half of the infections. Routine use of culture and sensitivity testing should be done for proper infection management. Gentamicin and ciprofloxacin can be considered for empirical management of emergency SSTI suspected of S. aureus. Recognizing SSTI under the Global Antimicrobial resistance Surveillance System would lead to improved preparedness and response to AMR.